Title
Viscoelastic properties of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) produced from corn stover
Authors
JINGYUAN XU WEN-CHING LIU and VEERA M. BODDU

Received October 18, 2017
Published Volume 52 Issue 5-6 May-June
Keywords corn stover, microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), nanocellulose, rheology, viscoelastic properties

Abstract
The rheological properties of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) produced from agricultural residue corn stover were investigated. The corn stover MFC gels exhibited concentration-dependent viscoelastic solid properties. Higher corn stover MFC concentrations resulted in stronger viscoelastic properties. The analysis for moduli of different concentrations and stress relaxation measurements indicated that the corn stover MFC gels were physical gels, meaning the cross-linkers between the molecules exhibited physical interactions. The non-linear steady shearing rheological properties studies implied that the corn stover MFC gels exhibited shear thinning behavior, which can be well fitted with the Power-Law Constitutive Equation. The function and behavior of the corn stover MFC gels suggest that this kind of starch-based biomaterial could be a potential candidate for applications in cosmetic gels and wound skin care materials.