Authors:

En-tsz Liu

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Cellulosic nanomaterial, a renewable, biodegradable, and versatile polymer derived from diverse sources. This study focuses on microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), which can be obtained from paper industry waste, effectively repurposing waste stream for other use. MFC has gained significant attention due to its potential to overcome inherent limitations in various industrial fields, including consumer products, cosmetics, food, painting and biomedical industries. Among its promising applications, MFC's potential as a rheological modifier in complex fluids stands out as an area of particular interest. In this project, we investigate the phase transition behavior of MFC using multiple particle tracking microrheology (MPT) as the primary characterization technique. MPT involves tracking the Brownian motion of fluorescent probe particles embedded in a sample, providing insights into the rheological properties of the sample. Specifically, we measure the impact of fiber entanglement concentration on the sol-gel transition. When the fiber entanglement concentration (C**) is exceeded, the fibers form a tightly associated network resulting in a gel structure. Conversely, diluting the sample below C** leads to degradation and a transition to liquid state. This suggests that water dilution facilitates the dispersion of MFC fibers, allowing particles to move more freely due to increased pore size. This study characterizes the critical role of C** in inducing phase transitions, providing a framework for designing products that require specific structures and properties at various stages. The gel-sol transition property of MFC through water dilution can be applied in pharmaceutical and consumer products. Further research explores how other driving forces, such as temperature and pH levels, influence the gel-sol transition, broadening the potential applications of MFC. Keywords: Cellulose Nanofibers; Nanocellulose; Microrheology

Source:

Purdue University / 2024

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Co-authors:

En-tsz Liu