Starch composites reinforced by bamboo cellulosic crystals

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 101; no. 7; pp. 2529 - 2536
• Main Authors: Liu, Dagang, Zhong, Tuhua, Chang, Peter R., Li, Kaifu, Wu, Qinglin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2010; [New York, NY]: Elsevier Ltd; Elsevier
• Subjects: acid hydrolysis; Bamboo cellulose crystals; biobased products; Biocomposites; Biological and medical sciences; biomass; cellulose; Cellulose - chemistry; Cellulose - ultrastructure; crystal structure; Crystallization; crystals; Elastic Modulus; Freeze Drying; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; lignocellulose; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Materials Testing; mechanical properties; Pisum sativum - chemistry; potassium chlorate; Pseudosasa; renewable resources; Sasa - chemistry; Sasa - ultrastructure; Starch; Starch - chemistry; Starch - ultrastructure; sulfuric acid; Tensile Strength; Transition Temperature; Water - chemistry; X-Ray Diffraction; Bamboo cellulose crystals; Starch; Biocomposites; Cellulose; Crystals; Biomaterial; Composite material
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2009.11.058

Using a method of combined HNO
3–KClO
3 treatment and sulfuric acid hydrolysis, bamboo cellulose crystals (BCCs) were prepared and used to reinforce glycerol plasticized starch. The structure and morphology of BCCs were investigated using X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and solid-state
13C NMR. Results showed that BCCs were of typical cellulose I structure, and the morphology was dependent on its concentration in the suspension. BCC of 50–100
nm were assembled into leaf nervations at low concentration (i.e. 0.1 wt.% of solids), but congregated into a micro-sized “flower” geometry at high concentration (i.e. 10.0 wt.% of solids). Tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the starch/BCC composite films (SBC) were enhanced by the incorporation of the crystals due to reinforcement of BCCs and reduction of water uptake. BCCs at the optimal 8% loading level exhibited a higher reinforcing efficiency for plasticized starch plastic than any other loading level.