Width and Length Measurement of Cellulose Nanofibril by Nanoparticle Analyzer - Comparison with TEM Image Analysis

Applications of cellulose nanofibril are highly dependent on its dimension (length and width). Quick and easy methods for measuring cellulose nanofibril dimensions are critical in process quality control. A nanoparticle size analyzer (Dynamic laser scattering) was applied for cellulose nanofibril characterization and two distinct peak areas were observed as one was its width (2-50 nm) and another was its length (100-500 nm). The width and length of the nanofibril from the nanoparticle analyzer were lower than those of TEM image analysis but each samples showed a similar trend between nanoparticle analyzer and TEM image analysis. Thus, the dynamic laser scattering nanoparticle analysis is recommended as a quality control tool for cellulose nanofibril making process for estimation of its length and width. © 2019 Korean Technical Assoc. of the Pulp and Paper Industry. All rights reserved.