Liukko Sirje, Dimic-Misic Katarina, Janackovic Aleksandar, Gasik Michael
Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Aalto University, 02150 Espoo, Finland.
Institute of General and Physical Chemistry, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Apr 11;17(8):1043. doi: 10.3390/polym17081043.
Foam-formed cellulose biocomposites provide a promising, innovative approach to creating lightweight and eco-friendly materials for utilization in packaging and insulation. This study investigates the production and characterization of temperature-resistant, mechanically stable cellulose fiber (CF) composite foams reinforced with alumina nanofibers (ANFs). To evaluate the impact of ANFs on rheology and drainage, CF suspensions were prepared at a concentration of 20 g/kg, with ANFs added at 2 wt% and 5 wt%. All foams exhibited shear-thinning behavior, with variations in flow characteristics influenced by ANF consistency and particle-bubble interactions. ANFs were integrated into the dry CF foam structure using two methods: (i) immersion in an ANF water suspension, and (ii) direct injection of the suspension into the foam matrix. Mechanical and thermal analyses of the dried CF foams with 2% ANFs demonstrated significant improvements in strength and thermal stability. Incorporating ANFs into CF-based foams enhances their rheological properties, improves mechanical and thermal performance, and reduces combustion rates. These results highlight the potential of ANF-reinforced CF foams for use in industries requiring biodegradable insulation and packaging materials.
泡沫成型纤维素生物复合材料为制造用于包装和隔热的轻质环保材料提供了一种有前景的创新方法。本研究调查了用氧化铝纳米纤维（ANFs）增强的耐高温、机械稳定的纤维素纤维（CF）复合泡沫的生产和特性。为评估ANFs对流变学和排水的影响，制备了浓度为20 g/kg的CF悬浮液，并添加了2 wt%和5 wt%的ANFs。所有泡沫均表现出剪切变稀行为，其流动特性的变化受ANF浓度和颗粒-气泡相互作用的影响。使用两种方法将ANFs整合到干燥的CF泡沫结构中：（i）浸入ANF水悬浮液中，（ii）将悬浮液直接注入泡沫基质中。对含有2% ANFs的干燥CF泡沫进行的力学和热分析表明，其强度和热稳定性有显著提高。将ANFs掺入CF基泡沫中可增强其流变性能，改善机械和热性能，并降低燃烧速率。这些结果突出了ANF增强CF泡沫在需要可生物降解隔热和包装材料的行业中的应用潜力。
