Foaming behavior of water-soluble cellulose derivatives: hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose
Journal article, 2015

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose could be interesting candidates for production of lightweight, foamed packaging material originating from non-fossil, renewable resources. The foaming ability of nine different grades of the two cellulose derivatives, using water as the blowing agent, was investigated using a hot-mold process. The foaming process was studied by evaluating the water loss during the heating, both in a real-time experiment and by thermal gravimetric analysis. Further, the development of the rheological properties of the derivative-water mixtures during a simulated foaming process was assessed using dynamical mechanical thermal analysis and viscosity measurements. Five of the studied derivatives showed promising properties for hot-mold foaming and the final foams were characterized with regard to their apparent density. It was concluded that the foamability of these systems seems to require a rather careful tailoring of the viscoelastic properties in relation to the water content in order to ensure that a network structure is built up and expanded during the water evaporation.

Foaming

Ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose (EHEC)

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)

Rheological characterization

Cellulose derivatives

Bulk density

Author

Kristina Karlsson

Chalmers, Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Polymeric Materials and Composites

Erich Schuster

SP Food and Bioscience

Mats Stading

Chalmers, Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Polymeric Materials and Composites

Mikael Rigdahl

Chalmers, Materials and Manufacturing Technology, Polymeric Materials and Composites

Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC)

Cellulose

0969-0239 (ISSN) 1572882x (eISSN)

Vol. 22 4 2651-2664

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Subject Categories

Materials Engineering

Textile, Rubber and Polymeric Materials

Areas of Advance

Materials Science

DOI

10.1007/s10570-015-0669-0

More information

Latest update

8/24/2018