From pine sawdust to cellulose nanofibers

EHMAN, N.V.; TARRÉS, Q.; VALLEJOS, M.E.; FELISSIA, F.E.; AREA, M.C.; MUTJÉ, P.

Córdoba

Workshop; 1st International Workshop on Biorefinery of Lignocellulosic Materials; 2015

Universidad de Córdoba

Biorefinery technology is an actual alternative to petroleumbased industry to produce energy, chemicals and materials. The conversion offorest and agricultural lignocellulosic residues to high value added productshas become important because of their renewable nature and high availability asraw materials. The pine sawdust is a promissory candidate as raw material in abiorefinery. This waste from the primary industrialization of wood is availablein large quantities and low cost, and is currently open-air burned.The aim ofthis study was to obtain nanofibrillated cellulose (CNF) from pinesawdust.Oxidative methods for the purification of the raw material were used.CNF was produced by the combination of chemical (TEMPO-oxidation) andmechanical (homogenizer) treatments.The effect of TEMPO-oxidation on degree ofpolymerization, cationic demand, carboxyl rate and nanofibrillation yield werestudied, as well as the specific surface and the diameter of the cellulosenanofibers were estimated.