Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Surface Modified Cellulose Utilizing TGA-MS

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Enhancing interfacial adhesion between hydrophobic polymers and cellulosic materials is crucial for composite performance.
• Chemical surface modification using silane coupling agents is a common strategy.
• Accurate quantification of silane loading is challenging due to similar thermal properties of treated and untreated cellulose.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a quantitative method for determining silane loading on cellulose.
• To correlate thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with elemental analysis for precise silane quantification.
• To establish a calibration for routine silane loading determination using TGA.

Main Methods:

• Silane modification of cellulose followed by characterization using FT-IR, Raman, solid-state NMR, and polarized light microscopy.
• Thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectrometry (TG-MS) to study thermal stability and pyrolysis.
• Elemental analysis to quantify specific elements and correlation with TGA charred residues.

Main Results:

• A linear dependency was established between elemental analysis data and TGA charred residues.
• This correlation allows for accurate silane loading determination using simple TGA measurements after initial calibration.
• TG-MS provided additional insights into thermal stability and pyrolysis pathways.

Conclusions:

• A robust and efficient method combining TGA and elemental analysis for silane loading quantification on cellulose was developed.
• This approach simplifies routine analysis and calibration for silane-modified cellulose.
• The method offers a reliable way to characterize surface functionalization for improved material performance.