title: Structural changes of Salix miyabeana cellulose fibres during dilute-acid steam explosion: impact of reaction temperature and retention time.
abstract: Dilute-acid steam explosion of Salix miyabeana has been carried out to understand the effect of processing conditions, expressed through a severity factors (SFT), on the changes in cellulose fibre structures in a perspective of using these in polymer composites. This thermo-chemico-mechanical extraction leads to the isolation of cellulose fibres as observed by SEM images. Fibre length as well as length to diameter aspect ratios decreased with the severity of the treatment. Likewise, fibre whiteness diminished with an increasing severity factor, which could be a tangible effect of physical degradation. Variations in crystallinity seemed to be dependent upon the reaction temperature, generally decreasing with regards to retention time. Above a severity threshold, a structural disorganization was observed. Overall, dilute-acid steam explosion was shown to be a valuable cellulose extraction process that can provide a variety of fibre structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, J1K 2R1 Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Chérif Ibrahima Khalil
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Diop
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, J1K 2R1 Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lavoie
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biotechnological Engineering, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard de l'Université, J1K 2R1 Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: Michel.Huneault@USherbrooke.ca.
authors.forename: Michel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Huneault
mesh_terms: D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008970:Molecular Weight; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D058105:Polymerization; D032108:Salix / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D013227:Steam; D013464:Sulfuric Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013696:Temperature; D013818:Thermogravimetry; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D013227:Steam; D013464:Sulfuric Acids; D002482:Cellulose; C033158:sulfuric acid
keywords: Dilute-acid steam explosion; Physical characterization; Salix miyabeana cellulose fibres; Severity factor; Structural changes