| 1. |
- Svagan, Anna, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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A cellulose nanocomposite biopolymer foam competing with expanded polystyrene (EPS) : hierarchical structure effects on energy absorption
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Starch is an interesting biofoam candidate as replacement of expanded polystyrene (EPS) in packaging materials. The main technical problems with starch foam include its hygroscopic nature, sensitivity of its mechanical properties to moisture content and much lower energy absorption than EPS. In the present study, a starch-based biofoam is able to reach comparable mechanical properties (Young’s modulus, compression yield strength) to expanded polystyrene at 50% relative humidity. The reason is the cellulose nanocomposite concept in the form of a cellulose nanofiber network reinforcing the hygroscopic amylopectin matrix in the cell wall. The biofoams are prepared by freeze-drying and subjected to compressive loading. Cell structure is characterized by FE-SEM of cross-sections. Mechanical properties are related to cell structure and cell wall nanocomposite composition. Hierarchically structured biofoams are demonstrated to be interesting materials with potential for strongly improved mechanical properties. The present study also highlights the challenges involved in preparation and analysis of nanocomposite foams structured at several different scales.
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| 2. |
- Svagan, Anna, 1979-
(författare)
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Bio-inspired cellulose nanocomposites and foams based on starch matrix
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In 2007 the production of expanded polystyrene (EPS) in the world was over 4 million tonnes and is expected to grow at 6 percent per year. With the increased concern about environmental protection, alternative biodegradable materials from renewable resources are of interest. The present doctoral thesis work successfully demonstrates that starch-based foams with mechanical properties similar to EPS can be obtained by reinforcing the cell-walls in the foams with cellulose nanofibers (MFC). High cellulose nanofiber content nanocomposites with a highly plasticized (50/50) glycerol-amylopectin starch matrix are successfully prepared by solvent-casting due to the high compatibility between starch and MFC. At 70 wt% MFC, the nanocomposites show a remarkable combination of high tensile strength, modulus and strain to failure, and consequently very high work to fracture. The interesting combination of properties are due to good dispersion of nanofibers, the MFC network, nanofiber and matrix properties and favorable nanofiber-matrix interaction. The moisture sorption kinetics (30% RH) in glycerol plasticized and pure amylopectin film reinforced with cellulose nanofibers must be modeled using a moisture concentration-dependent diffusivity in most cases. The presence of cellulose nanofibers has a strong reducing effect on the moisture diffusivity. The decrease in zero-concentration diffusivity with increasing nanofiber content could be due to geometrical impedance, strong starch-MFC molecular interaction and constrained swelling due to the cellulose nanofiber network present. Novel biomimetic starch-based nanocomposite foams with MFC contents up to 40 wt% are successfully prepared by freeze-drying. The hierarchically structured nanocomposite foams show significant increase in mechanical properties in compression compared to neat starch foam. Still, better control of the cell structure could further improve the mechanical properties. The effect of cell wall composition, freeze-drying temperature and freezing temperature on the resulting cell structure are therefore investigated. The freeze-drying temperature is critical in order to avoid cell structure collapse. By changing the starch content, the cell size, anisotropy ratio and ratio between open and closed cells can be altered. A decrease in freezing temperature decreases the cell size and increases the anisotropy ratio. Finally, mechanical properties obtained in compression for a 30 wt% MFC foam prepared by freeze-drying demonstrates comparable properties (Young's modulus and yield strength) to expanded polystyrene at 50% RH and similar relative density. This is due to the reinforcing cellulose nanofiber network within the cell walls.
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| 3. |
- Svagan, Anna, 1979-
(författare)
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Bio-inspired polysaccharide nanocomposites and foams
- 2007
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Today, the majority of materials used for single-use packaging are petroleum-based synthetic polymers. With increased concern about the environmental protection, efforts have been made to develop alternative biodegradable materials from renewable resources. Starch offers an attractive alternative since it is of low cost and abundant. However, the starch material is brittle without plasticizer and the mechanical properties of starch materials are highly sensitive to moisture. In nature, the plant cell walls combine mechanical stiffness, strength and toughness despite a highly hydrated state. This interesting combination of properties is attributed to a network based on cellulose microfibrils. Inspired by this, microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) reinforced starch-based nanocomposites films and foams were prepared. Films with a viscous matrix and MFC contents from 10 to 70wt% were successfully obtained by solvent casting. The films were characterized by DSC, DMA, FE-SEM, XRD, mercury density measurements, and dynamic water vapor sorption (DVS). At 70wt% MFC content a high tensile strength together with high modulus and high work of fracture was observed. This was due to the nanofiber and matrix properties, favourable nanofiber-matrix interaction, a good dispersion of nanofibers and the MFC network. Novel nanocomposite foams were obtained by freeze-drying aquagels prepared from 8wt% solutions of amylopectin starch and MFC. The MFC content was varied from 10 to 70wt%. For composite foam with MFC contents up to 40wt%, improved mechanical properties were observed in compression. The mechanical properties depended both on the cell wall properties and the cell-structure of the foam. The effect of moisture (20-80% RH) on the dynamical properties of composite foam with 40wt% MFC was also investigated and compared to those of neat starch foam. Improved storage modulus was noted with MFC content, which was a result of the nanofiber network in the cell-wall. In addition, the moisture content decreased with MFC content, due to the less hydrophilic nature of MFC.
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| 4. |
- Svagan, Anna, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Biomimetic Foams of High Mechanical Performance Based on Nanostructured Cell Walls Reinforced by Native Cellulose Nanofibrils
- 2008
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Ingår i: Advanced Materials. - Weinheim : Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH. - 0935-9648 .- 1521-4095. ; 20:7, s. 1263-1269
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A bioinspired foam in which cellulose nanofibrils are used to reinforce cell walls (ca. 3 mu m) is presented. The nanocomposite foams are prepared by a lyophilization technique and show composite structure at the cell-wall scale. The nanocellulosic network shows remarkable mechanical performance, expressed in much-improved modulus and yield strength compared with the neat starch foam.
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| 5. |
- Svagan, Anna Justina, et al.
(författare)
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Centrifuge fractionation during purification of cellulose nanocrystals after acid hydrolysis and consequences on their chiral self-assembly
- 2024
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Ingår i: Carbohydrate Polymers. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0144-8617 .- 1879-1344. ; 328
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The inherent colloidal dispersity (due to length, aspect ratio, surface charge heterogeneity) of CNCs, when produced using the typical traditional sulfuric acid hydrolysis route, presents a great challenge when interpreting colloidal properties and linking the CNC film nanostructure to the helicoidal self-assembly mechanism during drying. Indeed, further improvement of this CNC preparation route is required to yield films with better control over the CNC pitch and optical properties. Here we present a modified CNC-preparation protocol, by fractionating and harvesting CNCs with different average surface charges, rod lengths, aspect ratios, already during the centrifugation steps after hydrolysis. This enables faster CNC fractionation, because it is performed in a high ionic strength aqueous medium. By comparing dry films from the three CNC fractions, discrepancies in the CNC self-assembly and structural colors were clearly observed. Conclusively, we demonstrate a fast protocol to harvest different populations of CNCs, that enable tailored refinement of structural colors in CNC films.
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| 6. |
- Svagan, Anna, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Reduced water vapour sorption in cellulose nanocomposites with starch matrix
- 2009
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Ingår i: Composites Science And Technology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0266-3538 .- 1879-1050. ; 69:3-4, s. 500-506
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effects of microfibrillated cellulose nanofibers from wood on the moisture sorption kinetics (30% RH) of glycerol plasticized and pure high-amylopectin starch films were studied. The presence of a nanofiber network (70 wt% cellulose nanofibers) reduced the moisture uptake to half the value of the pure plasticized starch film. The swelling yielded a moisture concentration-dependent diffusivity. Quite surprisingly, the moisture diffusivity decreased rapidly with increasing nanofiber content and the diffusivity of the neat cellulose network was, in relative terms, very low. It was possible to describe the strong decrease in zero-concentration diffusivity with increasing cellulose nanofiber/matrix ratio, simply by assuming only geometrical blocking using the model due to Aris. The adjusted model parameters suggested a "simplified" composite structure with dense nanofiber layers oriented in the plane of the film. Still, also constraining effects on swelling from the high modulus/hydrogen bonding cellulose network and reduced amylopectin molecular mobility due to strong starch-cellulose molecular interactions were suggested to contribute to the reductions in moisture diffusivity.
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| 7. |
- Svagan, Anna, 1979-, et al.
(författare)
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Towards tailored hierarchical structures in starch-based cellulose nanocomposite foams prepared by freeze-drying
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The properties of nanocomposite foams depend both on cell wall composition and cell structure. In order to fully realize the potential of these materials, both cell wall composition and cell structure must be controlled and tailored. The effect of freezing and freeze-drying temperature on cell structure in nanocomposite foams based on starch and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) is studied. Freezing experiments are combined with DSC and NMR-analysis of bound water content in order to determine a suitable freeze-drying temperature. The freeze-drying temperature is critical in order to avoid cell structure collapse, as found from cell structure studies by FE-SEM microscopy. Based on this, a foam with mixed open and closed cell structures and as much as 70% MFC in the cell wall was successfully prepared. The study clarifies the interdependence of how the starch-MFC-water suspension composition, in combination with freezing and freeze-drying temperature, will control cell structure of the foams.
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