Nanofibrillated Cellulose Templated Membranes with High Permeance.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) membranes are promising for filtration but suffer from low permeance, hindering practical application.
• Current NFC membrane production from aqueous suspensions results in permeances insufficient for efficient filtration processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid and sustainable method for enhancing the permeance of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) membranes.
• To investigate the use of solvent exchange with ethanol and a removable calcium compound (CC) template to improve membrane performance.

Main Methods:

• NFC suspensions underwent solvent exchange with ethanol.
• Removable templates composed of calcium compounds (CC) were integrated with NFC.
• The ratio of CC to NFC was varied to optimize membrane properties.
• Water permeance was measured for templated and non-templated membranes.

Main Results:

• Water permeance of NFC membranes was increased by 2-3 times compared to non-templated membranes.
• The modified membranes demonstrated the capability to pass water-soluble macromolecules.
• Effective rejection of suspended solid particles was observed.
• Concentration of fluids like orange juice was achieved, indicating potential in the food industry.

Conclusions:

• The combined approach of ethanol solvent exchange and CC templating offers a fast and sustainable route to significantly enhance NFC membrane permeance.
• These improved NFC membranes show potential for various applications, including food processing, due to their enhanced flux and separation capabilities.