Obtaining cellulose nanowhiskers from waste wood by enzymatic methods

Abstract

Nanocelulose and its application in the production of biodegradable materials as a reinforcing element have been targets of recent studies. Its extraction from lignocellulosic fibers is convenient not only for the abundance of the material, but also because these can be obtained from waste, such as wood reforestation discarded industry. This use can prevent generation of waste and environmental impact, since the reuse of such material prevents the release of carbon into the atmosphere, once the disposal of these residues would burn as biomass, which releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This project proposes obtaining these nanocrystals (cellulose nanowhiskers) by mercerization, bleaching and finally the action of the enzyme 1,4-ß-D-endoglucanase (stage chemically less aggressive to the environment) instead of acid hydrolysis. It intends to use soft wood (pinus) sawdust as industrial waste which will be tested for different times of exposure in the enzymatic solution. Posteriorly, the residues will be characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The size of the particles will be measured by light scattering techniques. The Cellulose nanowhiskers will be used on the UFABC's research group projects, seeking their incorporation into biodegradable polymeric matrices, which allows the production of completely biodegradable nanocomposites. (AU)