Jinshuo Wang, Lida Xing, Fulong Zhang, Chuanfu Liu^*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.12, No.1, pp. 89-102, 2024, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.029057

Abstract Wood-based functional materials have developed rapidly. But the flammability significantly limits its further application. To improve the flame retardancy, the balsa wood was delignified by NaClO₂ solution to create a cellulose scaffold, and then alternately immersed in CaCl₂ ethanol solution and NaHCO₃ aqueous solution under vacuum. The high porosity and wettability resulting from delignification benefited the following mineralization process, changing the thermal properties of balsa wood significantly. The organic-inorganic wood composite showed abundant CaCO₃ spherical particles under scanning electron microscopy. The peak of the heat release rate of delignified balsa-CaCO₃ was reduced by 33% compared to the native balsa, according… More > Graphic Abstract

Rongzhuang Song^1,*

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.27, No.2, pp. 1-1, 2023, DOI:10.32604/icces.2023.09608

Abstract Kink defects in nanocellulose are ubiquitous yet associated questions remain open regarding the unclear microstructure-mechanical property relationship. Various kink patterns without molecular-scale resolution result in bemusements of how nanocellulose forms different kinks and what the fundamental mechanisms of reversible and irreversible kinks are. In our atomic force microscopy images of mechanically treated cellulose nanofibrils, bent nanofibrils usually exhibit small curvatures while kinked nanofibrils feature sharp bends, in which kinks are conspicuous due to their promiscuous configurations. To identify the nanomechanics of incipient kink defects formed in nanocellulose, molecular dynamics simulations of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) under curvature-dependent bending are subsequently carried… More >

Shuaijun Wang¹, Wenqiong Tu^1,*

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, Vol.25, No.2, pp. 1-1, 2023, DOI:10.32604/icces.2023.09926

Abstract Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and the continuously assembled microfibers have shown transversely isotropic behavior in many studies. Due to fact that the size of CNFs and the assembled microfibers is at the nano and micro scale, respectively, the characterization of their mechanical properties is extremely challenge. That greatly hinders the accurate multi-scale modeling and design of CNFs-based materials. In our study, we have characterized the elastic constants of both CNFs microfibers and CNFs through a Multi-scale Optimization Inversion technology. Through the tensile test of CNFs microfibers reinforced resin with different volume fractions and the micromechanics model of microfibers reinforced resin, the… More >

Cut Rahmawati^1,2,*, Lia Handayani³, Muhtadin⁴, Muhammad Faisal⁴, Muhammad Zardi¹, S. M. Sapuan⁵, Agung Efriyo Hadi⁶, Jawad Ahmad⁷, Haytham F. Isleem⁸

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.10, pp. 3751-3767, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.028987

Abstract Waste Glass (WGs) and Coir Fiber (CF) are not widely utilized, even though their silica and cellulose content can be used to create construction materials. This study aimed to optimize mortar compressive strength using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The Central Composite Design (CCD) was applied to determine the optimization of WGs and CF addition to the mortar compressive strength. Compressive strength and microstructure testing with Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) were conducted to specify the mechanical ability and bonding between the matrix, CF, and WGs. The results showed that the chemical treatment of… More > Graphic Abstract

Xiaoyan Liu^1,2, Zhao Qin^1,2,*, Yuxiang Ma^1,2, Huamin Liu^1,2,*, Xuede Wang^1,2

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.8, pp. 3203-3225, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.027613

Abstract Packaging is a food preservation technology widely used in the world. Naturally-sourced, biodegradable polymers are becoming increasingly popular in the food packaging sector. Packaging films prepared using cellulose as raw material would contribute to resource sustainability, but the difficulty of cellulose solubilization limits their further development. In view of this, a series of novel solvent systems (LiCl/DMAc, ILs, TBAH/DMSO, NMMO, alkali/urea solutions, metal-complex solutions) were used to prepare high-strength and high-performance cellulose-based films; their characteristics and the mechanisms involved were investigated. Composite films prepared by blending cellulose with various polymers (synthetic polymers, natural polymers, proteins and enzymes, metal particles, and… More > Graphic Abstract

Yalin Li^1,*, Lei Liu¹, Wenbao Huang¹, Junpu Xie², Zhaoxia Song¹, Shuna Guo¹, Enci Wang¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.7, pp. 3001-3023, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.026604

Abstract To achieve optimal recovery and value-added utilisation of cellulose in peanut shells, the cellulose in peanut shells was first extracted using the sodium hydroxide-sodium chlorite method. Then, cellulose hydrogel was prepared by graft copolymerisation using N, N’-methylenebisacrylamide as the cross-linking agent, sodium persulfate as the initiator, and acrylic acid as the monomer. Orthogonal optimisation experiments were designed to obtain optimal process parameters for hydrogel preparation with the cellulose dosage of 0.40 g, initiator dosage of 0.20 g, polymerisation temperature of 70°C, cross-linking agent of 0.25 g, and monomer dosage of 3.0 mL. The effect of initiator dosage on hydrogel synthesis was… More > Graphic Abstract

Honghong Wang¹, Zhixin Xiong^1,*, Yunchao Hu¹, Zhijian Liu¹, Long Liang²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.6, pp. 2713-2727, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.025817

Abstract This study aims to realize the sharing of near-infrared analysis models of lignin and holocellulose content in pulp wood on two different batches of spectrometers and proposes a combined algorithm of SPA-DS, MCUVE-DS and SiPLS-DS. The Successive Projection Algorithm (SPA), the Monte-Carlo of Uninformative Variable Elimination (MCUVE) and the Synergy Interval Partial Least Squares (SiPLS) algorithms are respectively used to reduce the adverse effects of redundant information in the transmission process of the full spectrum DS algorithm model. These three algorithms can improve model transfer accuracy and efficiency and reduce the manpower and material consumption required for modeling. These results… More >

Soumaya Zormati, Fadhel Aloulou^*, Habib Sammouda

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.5, pp. 2345-2365, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.026170

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze the effects of using surfactant (CTAB) and cellulose nanofibers (NFC) as an admixture in cement mortars. We examined composite properties as porosity, compression energy, thermal conductivity and hydration. The results showed that with the addition of 0.7% by weight of NFC per emulsion in the presence of a cationic surfactant (CTAB). The new material produced presented a dry porosity between 4.7% and 4.4%, compressive strength between 9.8 and 22.9 MPa, and thermal conductivity between 0.95 and 2.25 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹. Thus we show better mechanical and thermal performance than that traditional Portland cement mortar… More > Graphic Abstract

Ruyu Yan^1,2,3,4, Jian Fang^1,*, Xiaohua Yang^2,3,4,5,6, Na Yao^2,3,4,5,6, Mei Li^2,3,4,5,6, Yuan Nie^2,3,4,5,6, Tianxiang Deng^2,3,4,5,6, Haiyang Ding^2,3,4,5,6, Lina Xu^2,3,4,5,6, Shouhai Li^2,3,4,5,6,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.4, pp. 1937-1950, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.025126

Abstract Ethyl cellulose (EC), an important biomass-based material, has excellent film-forming properties. Nevertheless, the high interchain hydrogen bond interaction leads to a high glass transition temperature of EC, which makes it too brittle to be used widely. The hydroxyl group on EC can form a supramolecular system in the form of a non-covalent bond with an effective plasticizer. In this study, an important vegetable-oil-based derivative named dimer fatty acid was used to prepare a novel special plasticizer for EC. Dimer-fatty-acid-based thioether polyol (DATP) was synthesized and used to modify ethyl cellulose films. The supramolecular composite films of DATP and ethyl cellulose… More > Graphic Abstract

Chengtao Gao^1,2, Yang Wu³, Haibo Xie^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 1137-1152, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.021473

Abstract

Due to the increasing demand for modified polylactide (PLA) meeting “double green” criteria, the research on sustainable plasticizers for PLA has attracted broad attentions. This study reported an open-ring polymerization method to fabricate cellulose (MCC)-g-PCL (poly (ε-caprolactone)) copolymers with a fully sustainable and biodegradable component. MCC-g-PCL copolymers were synthesized, characterized, and used as green plasticizers for the PLA toughening. The results indicated that the MCC-g-PCL derivatives play an important role in the compatibility, crystallization, and toughening of the PLA/MCC-g-PCL composites. The mechanical properties of the fully bio-based PLA/MCC-g-PCL composites were optimized by adding 15 wt% MCC-g-PCL, that is, the elongation… More > Graphic Abstract