Flocculation of Cellulose Microfiber and Nanofiber Induced by Chitosan-Xylan Complexes.

This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the key factors influencing the rheological behavior and the mechanisms of natural polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) as flocculation agents for cellulose microfibers (CMFs) and nanofibers (CNFs). PECs were formed by combining two polyelectrolytes: xylan (Xyl) and chitosan (Ch), at different Xyl/Ch mass ratios: 60/40, 70/30, and 80/20. First, Xyl, Ch, and PEC solutions were characterized by measuring viscosity, critical concentration (c*), rheological parameter, ζ-potential, and hydrodynamic size.

Effect of Oxalic Acid Concentration and Different Mechanical Pre-Treatments on the Production of Cellulose Micro/Nanofibers.

The present work analyzes the effect of process variables and the method of characterization of cellulose micro/nanofibers (CMNFs) obtained by different treatments. A chemical pre-treatment was performed using oxalic acid at 25 wt.% and 50 wt.