Influence of lignin content and plasticizer load in nanocellulose/sorbitol films

RODRIGUEZ, PATRICIA LUJAN; PONCE DE LEÓN, AGUSTINA; EHMAN, NANCI VANESA; FELISSIA, FERNANDO ESTEBAN; AREA, MARIA CRISTINA

Girona

Congreso; XII Iberoamerican Congress on Pulp and Paper Research; 2022

Universitat de Girona, LEPAMAP PRODIS

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, and 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