Title
Properties of nanofibrillated cellulose and its length-width ratio determined by a new method
Authors
LE VAN HAI

Received June 6, 2016
Published Volume 51 Issue 7-8 July-August
Keywords nanofibrillated cellulose, FE-SEM, imageJ analysis, length-width ratio

Abstract
Softwood nanofibrillated cellulose (SW-NFC) was fabricated from bleached softwood Kraft pulp by using a Masuko grinder. The properties of SW-NFC were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and mechanical investigation. A SW-NFC film was formed by casting on a calibrated glass dish, and was determined as having a tensile strength of 110 Nm/g and Young’s modulus of 9 GPa. The width of SW-NFC was evaluated by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Additionally, an intense study was conducted on the SW-NFC length using two simple methods, namely: FE-SEM and imageJ analyses. The length-width ratio of SW-NFC is one of the most important factors for composite applications. The result indicated the length-width ratio of SW-NFC was around 90, relying on the measurement of 30 single selected SW-NFCs. These two simple assessment methods are accessible in many laboratories rather than transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and nanoparticle analysis techniques.