Structural changes of hemicellulose during pulping process and its interaction with nanocellulose

Area of Science:

• Wood Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomass Processing

Background:

• Hemicellulose is vital for binding cellulose and lignin in plant cell walls.
• Understanding hemicellulose-nanofiber interactions is key to biomass utilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively evaluate the adsorption behavior of hemicellulose fractions on nanocellulose.
• To investigate how kraft pulping conditions affect hemicellulose structure and its interaction with nanocellulose.

Main Methods:

• Kraft pulping with controlled H-factors.
• Quantitative evaluation of hemicellulose and nanocellulose fractions.
• Adsorption behavior analysis using Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation monitoring (QCM-D).

Main Results:

• Harsher pulping (high H-factor) reduced hemicellulose molecular weight and increased linearity.
• Hemicellulose exhibits a natural affinity for cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) sensors.
• High H-factor pulping decreased hemicellulose adsorption onto nanocellulose, slowing the rate and altering adsorbed layer conformation, leading to weaker, reversible binding.

Conclusions:

• Kraft pulping at high H-factors significantly modifies hemicellulose structure.
• Altered hemicellulose structure leads to variations in its interaction strength with nanocellulose.