Recycled Cardboard Containers as a Low Energy Source for Cellulose Nanofibrils and Their Use in Poly(l -lactide) Nanocomposites

Katie Copenhaver; Kai Li; Meghan E. Lamm; Colleen Walker; Donna Johnson; Yousoo Han; Lu Wang; Xianhui Zhao; Yunqiao Pu; Holly Hinton; Halil Tekinalp; Samarthya Bhagia; Arthur J. Ragauskas; Douglas J. Gardner; Soydan Ozcan

doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c03890

Recycled Cardboard Containers as a Low Energy Source for Cellulose Nanofibrils and Their Use in Poly(l -lactide) Nanocomposites

Katie Copenhaver, Kai Li, Meghan E. Lamm, Colleen Walker, Donna Johnson, Yousoo Han, Lu Wang, Xianhui Zhao, Yunqiao Pu, Holly Hinton, Halil Tekinalp, Samarthya Bhagia, Arthur J. Ragauskas, Douglas J. Gardner, Soydan Ozcan

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Cellulose nanomaterials have attracted a great deal of interest as sustainable alternatives to nonrenewable or fossil fuel-derived materials, particularly in composite applications. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) are most often derived from wood sources through energy-intensive and costly mechanical fibrillation processes. In this study, recycled cardboard, referred to as old corrugated cardboard (OCC), was investigated as an alternate CNF source. OCC is a recycled material that can be obtained at one-tenth the cost of the commonly used bleached softwood Kraft pulp and can be refined to similar levels with nearly one-half of the energy consumption. Additionally, the distinct composition and morphology of OCC-derived CNF provides a more favorable fiber-matrix interface and better reinforcement capabilities of the cellulose nanofibrils in polymer matrices, displaying an over 70% increase in tensile modulus at a loading of 40 wt % with no decrease in tensile strength. When paired with biobased poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), OCC-derived CNF is proven to be an attractive low-cost and low-energy reinforcing agent for sustainable, high performance nanocomposites.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	13460-13470
Number of pages	11
Journal	ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
Volume	9
Issue number	40
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c03890
State	Published - Oct 11 2021

Funding

This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Manufacturing Office and used resources at the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a User Facility of DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ). Microscopy and spectroscopy studies were completed at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, a DOE Office of Science User Facility.

Funders	Funder number
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy	DE-AC05-00OR22725
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Keywords

Biocomposite
Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF)
Nanocellulose
Nanocomposite
Old corrugated containers (OCC)
Poly(l -lactide) (PLLA)
Recycled cardboard

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10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c03890

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Copenhaver, K., Li, K., Lamm, M. E., Walker, C., Johnson, D., Han, Y., Wang, L., Zhao, X., Pu, Y., Hinton, H., Tekinalp, H., Bhagia, S., Ragauskas, A. J., Gardner, D. J., & Ozcan, S. (2021). Recycled Cardboard Containers as a Low Energy Source for Cellulose Nanofibrils and Their Use in Poly(l -lactide) Nanocomposites. ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 9(40), 13460-13470. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c03890

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title = "Recycled Cardboard Containers as a Low Energy Source for Cellulose Nanofibrils and Their Use in Poly(l -lactide) Nanocomposites",

abstract = "Cellulose nanomaterials have attracted a great deal of interest as sustainable alternatives to nonrenewable or fossil fuel-derived materials, particularly in composite applications. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) are most often derived from wood sources through energy-intensive and costly mechanical fibrillation processes. In this study, recycled cardboard, referred to as old corrugated cardboard (OCC), was investigated as an alternate CNF source. OCC is a recycled material that can be obtained at one-tenth the cost of the commonly used bleached softwood Kraft pulp and can be refined to similar levels with nearly one-half of the energy consumption. Additionally, the distinct composition and morphology of OCC-derived CNF provides a more favorable fiber-matrix interface and better reinforcement capabilities of the cellulose nanofibrils in polymer matrices, displaying an over 70% increase in tensile modulus at a loading of 40 wt % with no decrease in tensile strength. When paired with biobased poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), OCC-derived CNF is proven to be an attractive low-cost and low-energy reinforcing agent for sustainable, high performance nanocomposites.",

keywords = "Biocomposite, Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), Nanocellulose, Nanocomposite, Old corrugated containers (OCC), Poly(l -lactide) (PLLA), Recycled cardboard",

author = "Katie Copenhaver and Kai Li and Lamm, {Meghan E.} and Colleen Walker and Donna Johnson and Yousoo Han and Lu Wang and Xianhui Zhao and Yunqiao Pu and Holly Hinton and Halil Tekinalp and Samarthya Bhagia and Ragauskas, {Arthur J.} and Gardner, {Douglas J.} and Soydan Ozcan",

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doi = "10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c03890",

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Copenhaver, K, Li, K , Lamm, ME, Walker, C, Johnson, D, Han, Y, Wang, L, Zhao, X , Pu, Y , Hinton, H, Tekinalp, H, Bhagia, S, Ragauskas, AJ, Gardner, DJ & Ozcan, S 2021, 'Recycled Cardboard Containers as a Low Energy Source for Cellulose Nanofibrils and Their Use in Poly(l -lactide) Nanocomposites', ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, vol. 9, no. 40, pp. 13460-13470. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c03890

TY - JOUR

T1 - Recycled Cardboard Containers as a Low Energy Source for Cellulose Nanofibrils and Their Use in Poly(l -lactide) Nanocomposites

AU - Copenhaver, Katie

AU - Li, Kai

AU - Lamm, Meghan E.

AU - Walker, Colleen

AU - Johnson, Donna

AU - Han, Yousoo

AU - Wang, Lu

AU - Zhao, Xianhui

AU - Pu, Yunqiao

AU - Hinton, Holly

AU - Tekinalp, Halil

AU - Bhagia, Samarthya

AU - Ragauskas, Arthur J.

AU - Gardner, Douglas J.

AU - Ozcan, Soydan

PY - 2021/10/11

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N2 - Cellulose nanomaterials have attracted a great deal of interest as sustainable alternatives to nonrenewable or fossil fuel-derived materials, particularly in composite applications. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) are most often derived from wood sources through energy-intensive and costly mechanical fibrillation processes. In this study, recycled cardboard, referred to as old corrugated cardboard (OCC), was investigated as an alternate CNF source. OCC is a recycled material that can be obtained at one-tenth the cost of the commonly used bleached softwood Kraft pulp and can be refined to similar levels with nearly one-half of the energy consumption. Additionally, the distinct composition and morphology of OCC-derived CNF provides a more favorable fiber-matrix interface and better reinforcement capabilities of the cellulose nanofibrils in polymer matrices, displaying an over 70% increase in tensile modulus at a loading of 40 wt % with no decrease in tensile strength. When paired with biobased poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), OCC-derived CNF is proven to be an attractive low-cost and low-energy reinforcing agent for sustainable, high performance nanocomposites.

AB - Cellulose nanomaterials have attracted a great deal of interest as sustainable alternatives to nonrenewable or fossil fuel-derived materials, particularly in composite applications. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) are most often derived from wood sources through energy-intensive and costly mechanical fibrillation processes. In this study, recycled cardboard, referred to as old corrugated cardboard (OCC), was investigated as an alternate CNF source. OCC is a recycled material that can be obtained at one-tenth the cost of the commonly used bleached softwood Kraft pulp and can be refined to similar levels with nearly one-half of the energy consumption. Additionally, the distinct composition and morphology of OCC-derived CNF provides a more favorable fiber-matrix interface and better reinforcement capabilities of the cellulose nanofibrils in polymer matrices, displaying an over 70% increase in tensile modulus at a loading of 40 wt % with no decrease in tensile strength. When paired with biobased poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), OCC-derived CNF is proven to be an attractive low-cost and low-energy reinforcing agent for sustainable, high performance nanocomposites.

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KW - Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF)

KW - Nanocellulose

KW - Nanocomposite

KW - Old corrugated containers (OCC)

KW - Poly(l -lactide) (PLLA)

KW - Recycled cardboard

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DO - 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c03890

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85117268935

SN - 2168-0485

VL - 9

SP - 13460

EP - 13470

JO - ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering

JF - ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering

IS - 40

ER -

Recycled Cardboard Containers as a Low Energy Source for Cellulose Nanofibrils and Their Use in Poly(l -lactide) Nanocomposites

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Keywords

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