(603g) Production and Properties of Cellulosic Whiskers From Aspen Kraft Pulp

Cellulose is the most abundant renewable polymer available that can be produced in plants such as woody biomass, cotton, reeds, fruits. A well-known process for preparing cellulosic whiskers  from cellulose fibers is acid hydrolysis.  In this paper, cellulosic whiskers in the nanometer range were successfully prepared by 16 wt.% sulfuric acid hydrolysis of fully bleached, milled commercial aspen kraft pulp. The effects of preparation conditions, such as hydrolysis time and temperature, on the morphological behavior of cellulosic whiskers were investigated. Higher yields of over 58% were achieved. The chemical composition of the hydrolysis solution was identified and the concentrations of each component were determined by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis. The results show the cellulosic whiskers turn the shorter and slimmer when longer hydrolysis time and higher temperature apply. Higher temperature and longer hydrolysis time have negative effects on the yields of cellulosic whiskers, but favor the production of xylose, furfural, glucose, and HMF.