CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS FROM A PILOT SCALE FACILITY: THE EFFECT OF A PRETREATMENT STAGE AND DIFFERENT DRYING METHODS

摘要

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are obtained as slurry, which needs to be dried for storage and transport. In this paper, the effect of drying CNCs at a pilot scale facility and caustic pretreatment of the starting material on the final properties of the CNCs is investigated. Surface characterization confirmed drying does not impact the chemical signatures, abundance of fragments, and polarity, based on infrared, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements, respectively. Also, the particle distribution, charge, and thermal properties were unaffected. These results were confirmed when compared to those reported by National Research Council of Canada, when they analyzed the properties of a standard CNC material. Also, it was found that caustic pretreatment does not influence the final properties of the CNC particles produced. Nevertheless, based on observations made from scanning electron micrographs, agglomeration was the key drawback when drying CNCs.