Journal article
Easily deconstructed, high aspect ratio cellulose nanofibres from Triodia pungens; an abundant grass of Australia's arid zone
Nasim Amiralian, Pratheep K Annamalai, Paul Memmott, Elena Taran, Susanne Schmidt, Darren J Martin
RSC ADVANCES | ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY | Published : 2015
DOI: 10.1039/c5ra02936h
Abstract
The production of high aspect ratio cellulose nanofibres without resorting to very harsh mechanical and/or chemical processing steps remains a challenge that hinders progress in the fast-moving nanocellulose field. In response to this challenge, herein we report the preparation of high aspect ratio (>500) and small diameter (<8 nm) cellulose nanofibrils through the deconstruction of Australian native 'spinifex' grass (Triodia pungens) by applying very mild pulping conditions combined with only one pass of high pressure homogenization. Spinifex grass has an unusually high hemicellulose content, which facilitates this easy fibrillation process. Tensile measurements of the nanopaper produced by..
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Awarded by Australian Research Council (under ARC)
Funding Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from Australian Research Council (under ARC Discovery Grant no. DP0877161). They also acknowledge the Aboriginal collaborator, Dugalunji Aboriginal Corporation in Camooweal for project collaboration and the supply of grass samples, Dr Harshi Gamage for her helpful discussion about the morphology of spinifex grass and Prof Robert Moon and Mr Ryan Wagner at Purdue University for their helpful discussions for AM-FM analysis. The authors acknowledge the facilities, and the scientific and technical assistance, of the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility at the Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, The University of Queensland and Dr Isabel Marrow and Dr Gary Morgan for taking images. The AM-FM analysis was performed in part at the Queensland node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility, a company established under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy to provide nano and micro-fabrication facilities for Australia's researchers.