The objective of this work was to develop a path to create a plastic film alternative in packaging applications using cellulose materials. It was expected that a small amount of chemical and energy are needed during the process to align with the principles of eco-friendly development and sustainable development. It was also anticipated that the product of this work should have favorable optical properties and good mechanical performance comparable to ordinary plastic film products.
In this study, without going through dissolution or nanofibrillation, Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) cellulose pulp is treated with a 10% NaOH solution at a subzero temperature (-10 °C) and mechanical disintegration using a domestic blender to create a substitute that resembles plastic films. The kraft pulp can be converted into a stable fibrous slurry that can then be processed into a translucent and hazy film using vacuum filtration. The prepared cellulose film demonstrated high transmittance (89% at 650 nm with integrated sphere), excellent biodegradability (completely degrade in 19 days when buried in soil), high mechanical strength (99.7 MPa tensile strength in the dry state and 17.2 MPa after being immersed in water for 30 days), and high thermal stability (Tmax of 350 °C).
In sum, in this study a translucent, hazy, and strong cellulose film was developed through a simple chemical-saving and energy-saving fabrication method which involves treatment in 10% NaOH solution at -10 °C, blending and vacuum filtration, showing great promise as plastic alternative for packaging applications.Forestry, Faculty ofGraduat
