A rapid, green method for the preparation of cellulosic self-reinforcing composites from wood and bamboo pulp

• Published in: Industrial crops and products 2021-10, Vol.169, p.113658, Article 113658
• Main Authors: Hu, Yucheng, Hu, Fuqiang, Gan, Meixue, Xie, Yimin, Feng, Qinghua
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cellulose I/II; Cellulosic self-reinforcing composites (CSRCs); Commercial pulps; Mechanical properties
• ISSN: 0926-6690; 1872-633X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.113658

CSRCs were obtained from commercial pulp sheets immersed in a green, novel solvent at 8˚C, matured for 30 s or 1s, and then coagulated with tap water. [Display omitted] •Cellulosic self-reinforcing composites were rapidly obtained from commercial pulp.•The mechanical strength was improved by being welded in situ at 8 °C.•The self-reinforcement mechanism was revealed via XPS and Raman spectroscopy. Cellulosic self-reinforcing composites (CSRCs) were rapidly obtained by the partial dissolution of wood and bamboo pulp using a new, green aqueous solvent at 8 °C. The effect of the solvent system on raw materials was investigated and it was found that lignin, and degree of polymerization (DP) hindered the self-reinforcing process. CSRCs were characterized in terms of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. The results demonstrate cellulose I was replaced partially by cellulose II, which acts as a matrix for the linking fibers. The tensile strength of the softwood dissolving pulp was shown to have increased by a factor of >9.