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Quantitative Electron Microscopy of Cellulose Nanofibril Structures from Eucalyptus and Pinus radiata Kraft Pulp Fibers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2011

Gary Chinga-Carrasco ,
Yingda Yu  and
Ola Diserud
Gary Chinga-Carrasco*
Affiliation:
Paper and Fiber Research Institute (PFI AS), Høgskoleringen 6b, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Yingda Yu
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Ola Diserud
Affiliation:
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
*
Corresponding author. E-mail: gary.chinga.carrasco@pfi.no
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Abstract

This work comprises the structural characterization of Eucalyptus and Pinus radiata pulp fibers and their corresponding fibrillated materials, based on quantitative electron microscopy techniques. Compared to hardwood fibers, the softwood fibers have a relatively open structure of the fiber wall outer layers. The fibrillation of the fibers was performed mechanically and chemi-mechanically. In the chemi-mechanical process, the pulp fibers were subjected to a TEMPO-mediated oxidation to facilitate the homogenization. Films were made of the fibrillated materials to evaluate some structural properties. The thicknesses and roughnesses of the films were evaluated with standardized methods and with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in backscattered electron imaging mode. Field-emission SEM (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed to quantify the nanofibril morphology. In this study, we give additional and significant evidences about the suitability of electron microscopy techniques for quantification of nanofibril structures. In addition, we conclude that standard methods are not suitable for estimating the thickness of films having relatively rough surfaces. The results revealed significant differences with respect to the morphology of the fibrillated material. The differences are due to the starting raw material and to the procedure applied for the fibrillation.

Keywords

microfibrillated cellulose (MFC)computerized image analysismicroscopymetrologynanotechnology
Type
Biological Applications
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 17 , Issue 4 , August 2011 , pp. 563 - 571
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2011

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