Bio-inspired self-bonding nanofibrillated cellulose composite: A response surface methodology for optimization of processing variables in binderless biomass materials produced from wheat-straw-lignocelluloses

Inspired by the self-bonding mechanism of higher plants, self-bonding nanofibrillated cellulose composite, a binderless biomass materials, was developed based on the chemical composition self-bonding using the simple mechanical thermal rubber milling and the hot-pressing method. Here, key factors of the reduction process of biomass nanofibrillated cellulose composite, including grinding time, pressing temperature and pressing time, were analyzed by the Box-Behnken design of experiments using Design-Expert software with three independent variables a three levels. Meanwhile, the nanostructure, the chemical structure, and the surface composition of biomass nanofibrillated cellulose composite was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Response surface methodology was utilized to show the relationships between the production variables and predicts the MOR, MOE, IB and TS of biomass nanofibrillated cellulose composite of variable optimisation. Biomass nanofibrillated cellulose composite corresponding analytical model of mechanical performance and optimal process parameters under laboratory conditions was obtained. The result showed that the optimal condition contained 5.6 h grinding time, 202 degrees C pressing temperature and 21min pressing time. The study has shown that it is practicable to produce binderless biomass nanofibrillated cellulose composite based wheat-straw-lignocellulose, and a new and effective method for preparing binderless biomass material was proposed, which provides some self-bonding mechanisms.