On the use of nanocellulose as reinforcement in polymer matrix composites

AbstractNanocellulose is often being regarded as the next generation renewable reinforcement for the production of high performance biocomposites. This feature article reviews the various nanocellulose reinforced polymer composites reported in literature and discusses the potential of nanocellulose as reinforcement for the production of renewable high performance polymer nanocomposites. The theoretical and experimentally determined tensile properties of nanocellulose are also reviewed. In addition to this, the reinforcing ability of BC and NFC is juxtaposed. In order to analyse the various cellulose-reinforced polymer nanocomposites reported in literature, Cox–Krenchel and rule-of-mixture models have been used to elucidate the potential of nanocellulose in composite applications. There may be potential for improvement since the tensile modulus and strength of most cellulose nanocomposites reported in literature scale linearly with the tensile modulus and strength of the cellulose nanopaper structures. Better dispersion of individual cellulose nanofibres in the polymer matrix may improve composite properties

Towards a measurement of paper pulp quality : ultrasonic spectroscopy of fibre suspensions

For the paper and pulp industry in Sweden and Finland to remain competitive against countries with lower overheads, they have to constantly strive to improve the quality and the efficiency of the manufacturing processes. One of the ways of doing this is to introduce sensors that will provide valuable online feedback on the characteristics of the pulp so that adjustments can be made to optimise the manufacturing process. The measurement method proposed in this thesis is based on ultrasound, since it is rapid, inexpensive, non-destructive and non-intrusive. Thus could be done online. Since ultrasound propagation and attenuation depends on the material properties through which is propagates, it has the potential to provide measurements of material properties such as pulp fibre density and elasticity. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the possibility of using ultrasound to measure pulp fibre material properties. The idea is to solve the inverse problem of estimating these properties from attenuation measurements and to establish the degree of accuracy to which this can be done. Firstly a model is developed and is tested with synthetic fibres to establish is validity. It is then used to solve the inverse problem of estimating material properties from attenuation measurements, again with synthetic fibres, to test the accuracy to which these properties can be estimated. Resonance peaks in the frequency response of the attenuation were found. On closer investigation it was established that the location of these peaks in the frequency domain is sensitive to the diameter of the fibres and their material properties. If the diameter is known, these peaks improve the accuracy of the estimation process. The results of the estimation process for synthetic fibre suspensions show values for the shear modulus are within known ranges but the estimation of Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus is poor. Improving the model or the estimation procedure may lead to better results. For the method as it is to have application in the paper and pulp industry there are certain conditions that need to be fulfilled. These are that we find peaks in the frequency response of the attenuation in pulp, know the diameter distribution of the fibres and the hollow nature of the fibres does not significantly alter the results. We can then, potentially, be able to establish the shear modulus of the pulp fibres. If the shear modulus is a factor in paper quality, we may be close to an online measurement of paper pulp quality using ultrasonic spectroscopy. Improving the model may allow us to estimate further properties and take into account the fibres being hollow. The thesis consists of two parts. The first part includes an overview of the pulp and paper industry and current testing methods, background theory on which the model is based and an overview of the model that is used in predicting ultrasound attenuation. There then follows a summary of the work done, some addition points are raised in the discussion before drawing conclusions. Finally we discuss what needs to be done to take this further. The second part contains a collection of four papers describing the research.Godkänd; 2006; 20061115 (ysko)</p

Online fibre property measurements : foundations for a method based on ultrasound attenuation

This thesis presents the foundations of a method for estimating fibre properties of pulp suitable for online application in the pulp and paper industry. In the pulp and paper industry, increased efficiency and greater paper quality control are two of the industry's main objectives. It is proposed that online fibre property measurements are a means of achieving progress in both of these objectives. Optical based systems that provide valuable geometric data on the fibres and other pulp characteristics are commercially available. However, measurements of the elastic properties of the fibres are not currently implemented using these systems. To fill this gap an ultrasound based system for measuring the elastic properties of the wood fibres in pulp is proposed. Ultrasound propagation depends on the elastic properties of a solid. Hence attenuation measurements from suspensions of fibres depend on their elastic properties. The method is based on solving the inverse problem where the output is known and the objective is to establish the inputs. In this case, attenuation is measured and a model of attenuation based on ultrasound scattering is developed. A search algorithm is used for finding elastic properties that minimize the error between the model and measured attenuation. The results of the search are estimates of the elastic properties of the fibres in suspension. The results show resonance peaks in the attenuation, in the frequency region tested, for fibres with radii of the order of 10 microns. These peaks are found in both the measured and modelled attenuation spectra. Further investigation of these resonances suggests that they are due to modes of vibration in the fibre where the fibre modelled as an infinitely long cylinder. These resonances are shown to aid in the identification of the elastic properties. The attenuation is found to depend heavily on the geometry of the fibres. Hence fibre geometry, which can be obtained from online optical fibre measurement system, provides the key to extracting the elastic properties from the attenuation signal. Studies are also carried out on the effect of viscosity on attenuation as well as the differences in attenuation between hollow and solid synthetic fibres in suspensions. The measurement method is also applied to hardwood and softwood Kraft pulps. The results of these studies show that using the model derived in the thesis and attenuation measurements, estimates of the elastic properties can be obtained. The elastic property estimates for synthetic fibres agree well with values from other methods. The elastic property estimates for pulps require further validation due to the difficulty in comparing between different testing methods and different types of pulp. The conclusions, based on the work so far and under three realisable conditions, are that the shear modulus and the transverse Young's modulus of pulp fibres can be measured. Once these conditions are met a system based on this method can be implemented. By doing this the industry would benefit from the increase in paper quality control and energy saving such system could provide.Godkänd; 2009; 20090507 (aitomaki); DISPUTATION Ämnesområde: Industriell elektronik/Industrial Electronics Opponent: Professor Richard Challis, the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom Ordförande: Teknologie doktor Torbjörn Löfqvist, Luleå tekniska universitet Tid: Onsdag den 3 juni 2009, kl 10.00 Plats: D770, Luleå tekniska universitet</p

Towards a measurement of paper pulp quality : ultrasonic spectroscopy of fibre suspensions

For the paper and pulp industry in Sweden and Finland to remain competitive against countries with lower overheads, they have to constantly strive to improve the quality and the efficiency of the manufacturing processes. One of the ways of doing this is to introduce sensors that will provide valuable online feedback on the characteristics of the pulp so that adjustments can be made to optimise the manufacturing process. The measurement method proposed in this thesis is based on ultrasound, since it is rapid, inexpensive, non-destructive and non-intrusive. Thus could be done online. Since ultrasound propagation and attenuation depends on the material properties through which is propagates, it has the potential to provide measurements of material properties such as pulp fibre density and elasticity. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the possibility of using ultrasound to measure pulp fibre material properties. The idea is to solve the inverse problem of estimating these properties from attenuation measurements and to establish the degree of accuracy to which this can be done. Firstly a model is developed and is tested with synthetic fibres to establish is validity. It is then used to solve the inverse problem of estimating material properties from attenuation measurements, again with synthetic fibres, to test the accuracy to which these properties can be estimated. Resonance peaks in the frequency response of the attenuation were found. On closer investigation it was established that the location of these peaks in the frequency domain is sensitive to the diameter of the fibres and their material properties. If the diameter is known, these peaks improve the accuracy of the estimation process. The results of the estimation process for synthetic fibre suspensions show values for the shear modulus are within known ranges but the estimation of Poisson's ratio and Young's modulus is poor. Improving the model or the estimation procedure may lead to better results. For the method as it is to have application in the paper and pulp industry there are certain conditions that need to be fulfilled. These are that we find peaks in the frequency response of the attenuation in pulp, know the diameter distribution of the fibres and the hollow nature of the fibres does not significantly alter the results. We can then, potentially, be able to establish the shear modulus of the pulp fibres. If the shear modulus is a factor in paper quality, we may be close to an online measurement of paper pulp quality using ultrasonic spectroscopy. Improving the model may allow us to estimate further properties and take into account the fibres being hollow. The thesis consists of two parts. The first part includes an overview of the pulp and paper industry and current testing methods, background theory on which the model is based and an overview of the model that is used in predicting ultrasound attenuation. There then follows a summary of the work done, some addition points are raised in the discussion before drawing conclusions. Finally we discuss what needs to be done to take this further. The second part contains a collection of four papers describing the research.Godkänd; 2006; 20061115 (ysko)</p

Sounding Out Paper Pulp : Ultrasound Spectroscopy of Dilute Viscoelastic Fibre Suspensions Acoustics and Ultrasonics

A model of attenuation of ultrasound in fibre suspensions is compared to a model of backscattering pressure from submersed cylinders subjected to a sound wave. This analysis is carried out in the region where the wavelength is of the same order as that of the diameter of the fibre. In addition we assume the cylinder scatterer to have no intrinsic attenuation and the longitudinal axis of the scatterer is assumed to be perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the incident wave. Peaks in the frequency response of both the backscattering pressure, expressed in the form of a form function, and the attenuation are shown to correspond. Similarities between the models are discussed. Since the peaks in the form function are due to resonance of the cylinder, we infer that the peaks in the attenuation are also due to resonance. The exact nature of the waves causing the resonance are still unclear however the first resonance peaks are related to the shear wave and hence the shear modulus of the material. The aim is to use the attenuation model for solving the inverse problem of calculating paper pulp material properties from attenuation measurements. The implications of these findings for paper pulp property estimation is that the supporting fluid could, if possible, be matched to density of that of pulp fibres and that the estimation of material properties should be improved by selecting a frequency range that in the region of the first resonance peaks.Godkänd; 2006; 20150414 (aitomaki

Ultrasonic methods in determining elastic material properties of fibres in suspension

The presented study concerns the application of the pulse-echo ultrasound measurement technique in determining the elastic properties of fibres suspended in water. The two kinds of fibre materials are investigated, nylon 6/6 fibres and softwood pulp fibres. The fibre mass fraction was 0.5% for nylon and ranges from 0% up to 1% for softwood pulp. The ultrasonic measurements are performed in the frequency range of 2-11 MHz. It is shown that the velocity dispersion of the ultrasound is small for each suspension sample. In obtaining the fibres longitudinal Young's modulus two methods are used, one based on phase velocity and one based on acoustic attenuation. It is found that both methods gives reasonable estimates of the longitudinal Young's modulus for nylon 6/6. For pulp fibres the determined Young's modulus is overestimated in comparison with earlier findings.Validerad; 2008; 20071002 (tlt

Ultrasonic measurements and modelling of attenuation and phase velocity in pulp suspensions

In the manufacturing process of paper the mass fraction and material properties of the fibres in the pulp suspension are important for the quality of the finished product. This study presents two different methods of pulp characterisation. The first is based on phase velocity, which we use to investigate the composition of the pulp. Here a method is presented where the optimal number of circular shifts within the sampling window of the signal is determined which gives, in a weakly dispersive medium, a continuous phase spectrum and minimizes the likelihood of discontinuities within the bandwidth. Hence, the ambiguity in phase unwrapping is avoided. The results from phase velocity measurements show that the phase velocity weakly increases with increasing amount of fines in the suspension. The dispersion is caused by the fibres and it correlates with fibre mass fraction. The second method is based on attenuation and is used to characterise the wood fibres. The results of the attenuation experiments show that it is possible to inversely calculate wood fibre properties by fitting the model to the experimental data, if the fibre diameter distribution is known. However, the accuracy of these calculation is difficult to determined and more work in this area is required.Validerad; 2005; 20060913 (ysko

A COMPARISON OF THE APPROACHES TO THE PROCESS MODELLING OF SHEET MOULDING COMPOUND

Please use this document as a template for the preparation of your extended abstract for FPCM-14. The following section will detail the lay out settings for the extended abstract in Microsoft Word. If you use other text editors such as LaTex, please follow the format guidelines of the extended abstract

A COMPARISON OF THE APPROACHES TO THE PROCESS MODELLING OF SHEET MOULDING COMPOUND

Please use this document as a template for the preparation of your extended abstract for FPCM-14. The following section will detail the lay out settings for the extended abstract in Microsoft Word. If you use other text editors such as LaTex, please follow the format guidelines of the extended abstract

Vacuum Infusion of Nanocellulose Networks of Different Porosity

Cellulose nanofibres (CNF) have shown good potential as sustainable, biobased reinforcing materials in polymer composites. Addressing issues around the processing of these composites is an important part of establishing their use in different applications. Here, CNF networks of different porosity are made from nanofibrillated hardwood kraft pulp with the aim of increasing the impregnation of the CNF networks and to allow vacuum infusion to be used. Two different vacuum infusion strategies: in-plane and out of plane were used to infuse the CNF networks with a low viscosity epoxy. The permeability, morphology and mechanical properties of the dry networks and the resulting nanocomposites were investigated and compared to a micro-fibre based network. Using the out-of-plane permeability measurements and Darcy’s law, the fill-time was calculated and showed that the CNF network with 40% porosity had the lowest fill-time when an out-of-plane impregnation strategy is used. However this exceeded the gel-time of the epoxy system. In experiments, the resin reached the other side of the network but low transparency indicated that wetting was poor. The dry CNF preforms showed a very strong dependence on the porosity with both modulus and strength increasing rapidly at low porosity. Interestingly, the composite based on the 60% porosity network showed good wetting particularly with the in-plane infusion strategy, exhibiting a much more brittle fracture and a high yield strength. This shows that in CNF composites produced by VI, lowering the fibre volume content of the CNF composites gives better impregnation resulting in a lower ultimate strength but higher yield strength and no loss in modulus.Godkänd; 2015; 20151218 (aitomaki