INFLUENCE OF LIGNIN CONTENT AND PLASTICIZER LOAD IN NANOCELLULOSE/SORBITOL FILMS

RODRÍGUEZ, LUJÁN PATRICIA; PONCE DE LEÓN, AGUSTINA; EHMAN, NANCI VANESA; FELISSIA, FERNANDO ESTEBAN; AREA, MARÍA CRISTINA

Congreso; XII Iberoamerican Congress on Pulp and Paper Research 2022 (CIADICYP); 2022

This study evaluated the effect of adding incremental loads of sorbitol on the final properties of cellulose and lignocellulose nanofibers (CNF and LCNF). Unbleached (Kappa number: 20) and bleached (Kappa number: 3.1) pine pulps were TEMPO-oxidized and nanofibrillated using a colloidal grinder. Films were acquired from each nanocellulose suspension by solvent casting using varying loads of sorbitol (25% w/w and 50% w/w). The samples were dried at 50°C. The film characterization included: physical-mechanical properties, water vapor barrier behavior (WVP), optical characteristics, biodegradation after 25 days. Overall migration limit (OML) (to evaluate the application in food packaging) was measured using distilled water, 15% v/v ethanol, and 3% w/w of acetic acid as food liquid simulants. Films thicknesses were in the range of 23.0-79.0 µm. The incremental loading of sorbitol improved the elasticity of the films (p