Relationships between Size Distribution, Morphological Characteristics, and Viscosity of Cellulose Nanofibril Dispersions.

Rheological parameters of cellulose nanofibril dispersions (CNF) are relevant and commonly used as quality control for producing of this type of material. These parameters are affected by morphological features and size distribution of the nanofibrils. Understanding the effect of size distribution is essential for analyzing the rheological properties, viscosity control, performance of CNFs, and potential dispersion applications.

Impact of the Enzyme Charge on the Production and Morphological Features of Cellulose Nanofibrils.

The available research does not allow specific relationships to be established between the applied enzymatic-mechanical treatment, the degree of polymerization, and the characteristics of the cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) produced. This work aims to establish specific relationships between the intensity of enzymatic treatment, the degree of polymerization of the cellulose, the morphology of CNFs, and the tensile strength of the CNF films. It is determined that the decrease in the degree of polymerization plays an essential role in the fibrillation processes of the cell wall to produce CNFs and that there is a linear relationship between the degree of polymerization and the length of CNFs, which is independent of the type of enzyme, enzyme charge, and intensity of the applied mechanical treatment.