Mannan-cellulose nanocomposites

CELL 228

Kirsi S. Mikkonen, kirsi.s.mikkonen@helsinki.fi1, Aji P. Mathew, aji.mathew@ltu.se2, Chunlin Xu, cxu@abo.fi3, Stefan M. Willför, stefan.willfor@abo.fi3, Maija Tenkanen, maija.tenkanen@helsinki.fi1, and Kristiina Oksman Niska, kristiina.oksman@ltu.se2. (1) Department of Applied Chemistry and Microbiology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, Helsinki, FIN-00014, Finland, (2) Division of Manufacturing and Design of Wood and Bionanocomposites, Luleå University of Technology, Skellefteå, SE-93187, Sweden, (3) Process Chemistry Centre, Åbo Akademi University, Åbo, FIN-20500, Finland
Mannans are abundant plant polysaccharides that can be used as sustainable raw material for biodegradable films. Konjac glucomannan (KGM) and spruce galactoglucomannans (GGM), a by-product from pulp and paper industry, are water-soluble and have rather similar sugar composition but differ significantly in polymeric length. Films from high molecular weight KGM have relatively high tensile strength, but low molecular weight spruce GGM form films with rather low tensile properties. Addition of cellulose nanowhiskers (CNW) has been found to increase the mechanical properties and thermal stability of some polymer matrices. The aim of this study was to examine the use of CNW as reinforcements of GGM-based films and thereby combine these two forest biorefinery products. Due to structural similarities of GGM and KGM, and the good film forming capacity of the latter, KGM was studied as a reference material. Film properties, characterized by tensile testing, dynamic mechanical and thermal gravimetric analyses as well as by microscopic methods, will be discussed.
 

Biobased Nanocomposites and Nanotechnology
8:00 AM-12:15 PM, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Rm. R09, Oral

Division of Cellulose & Renewable Materials

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008