Preparation and Characterization of Cellulose Nanofibril from annual Plant

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) exhibit desirable chemical and physical characteristics, which expand their application range. The eco-friendly nature of cellulose nanofibrils makes them a suitable alternative to meet the current environmental requirements of sustainable development. Therefore, researchers have recently focused their attention on cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and their composites since the introduction of CNF enables advanced properties and novel uses. In the field of materials, these efforts are reflected in the desire to offer new bio-based materials in the short term capable of replacing toxic or non-biodegradable materials while providing at least equivalent properties. Over the last decades, more research has shown considerable potential for cellulose nanofibrils isolation from various annual plant sources. These have been utilized as fillers to enhance the performance of nanocomposites. This chapter will resume previous research on the production methods adopted for CNF production from annual plants and the suitable characterization approaches used. The present chapter will focus on covering the production processes and the evaluation of the published data on the different mechanical, structural, morphological, and thermal characteristics of the resulting materials assessed through morphological (SEM, TEM, AFM), thermal (TGA/DTG, DSC), structural (XRD, fibrillation degree) and rheological analysis. This chapter is structured in three parts. The first part provides generalities about CNF from the structure to the applications. The second part will cover the chemical and mechanical disintegration approaches usually adopted. The last section focuses on the characterization methods used in literature. It seeks to establish the link between the structure and the properties of CNF, which allows a better understanding of the behavior and provides essential indications for future up-scaling production.