The mechanical and physical properties of nanocellulose have promoted the development of new applications in the composites, painting, medical, packaging and food industries. It has been estimated that by 2017 over 780 t will be required; however, the industrial production of nanocellulose poses different challenges; among them the transportation for its commercial distribution is one of the most remarkable concerns. To decrease the transportation cost different dehydration methods have been proposed, including the use of different agents to hinder the agglomeration of the nanofibers. The addition of sodium chloride, surfactants and the chemical modification of the cellulosic structure have been studied. However some of the aforementioned methods require a high-intensity treatment to redisperse the nanofibers or are not recommended for its use in food and pharmaceutical-related applications.<br/>The present study evaluates the effect of two capping agents, maltodextrin (MDX) and poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) at different ratios of nanocellulose:agent (N:A). Samples were mixed, oven-dried, redispersed and washed. The specimens were analyzed in their morphological, physico-chemical and rheological properties by FE-SEM, ATR-FTIR, colorimetric and rotational rheometry. Results indicate the presence of agglomerations in the redispersed product, their size and distribution are affected by the agent type and N:A ratio used, however, the behavior of the treated suspensions resembled the behavior of never-dried samples. ATR-FTIR analysis did not indicate a contribution of the agents to the observed spectra.

Evaluation of maltodextrin and poly-vinyl alcohol content in oven dried nanocellulose redispersability

251st National Meeting (2016)

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