Cellulose nanofibrils reinforced xylan-alginate composites: Mechanical, thermal and barrier properties.

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) can be used as an effective reinforcement material for biopolymer films intended for food packaging applications. The aim of this study was to improve the mechanical and barrier properties of xylan-alginate films by incorporating CNFs into the xylan-alginate matrix. CNFs was produced from maize stalk waste residues through a combination of chemical and mechanical treatment. The CNFs was incorporated into the xylan-alginate matrix between 1 and 10 wt%. The suitability of the CNFs reinforced composite films for food packaging applications was investigated by testing the mechanical, thermal and optical properties as well as the moisture sorption, solubility and water vapour permeability of the films. The CNFs produced had fibre diameters between 10 and 80 nm and transmission electron microscopy images showed that the CNFs were highly entangled hence forming a web like structure. It was found that the incorporation of CNFs into the xylan-alginate matrix increased the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the films. The incorporation of CNFs improved the WVP of the films but did not show any significant effect on the thermal properties of the films.

Bio-based products from xylan: A review.

Obtaining chemicals and materials in sustainable ways is of growing importance. A potential source of sustainable chemicals and materials is lignocellulosic biomass residues generated as waste from agriculture. Hemicellulose which is a large component in lignocellulosic biomass residues, provides many potential applications such as the generation of chemicals, packaging materials, drug delivery and biomedical applications. This review deals with the various techniques which can be used for the extraction of hemicellulose from biomass residues, purification and some potential applications of the extracted hemicellulose. The methods that have been used to further produce chemicals from extracted hemicellulose as well as their applications are discussed.