Microcellular foaming of arabinoxylan and PEGylated arabinoxylan with supercritical CO2
Journal article, 2018

In this study, arabinoxylan extracted from barley husks was reacted with polyethylene glycol (PEG) of various molecular weights to introduce an internal plasticizer into the polymer matrix. A successful PEGylation reaction was identified using FTIR and elemental analysis. Thermal and mechanical properties were studied using dynamic mechanical analysis, which revealed that the attachment of PEG chains reduced the glass transition temperature by up to 25 °C. Foaming experiments were conducted under different test conditions in a batch foaming process with supercritical CO 2 in a thermoregulated and pressurized cylinder. The foams were evaluated using SEM by studying the morphology of the samples foamed at different temperatures. The unmodified arabinoxylan sample was found to produce the best foam morphology, though the PEGylated samples could be produced at lower temperatures than could the unmodified arabinoxylan. This was interpreted as due to the decrease in the glass transition temperature.

Supercritical CO2

Barley hull

Arabinoxylan

PEGylation

Foam

Author

Linda Härdelin

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Anna Ström

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Ernesto Di Maio

University of Naples Federico II

Salvatore Iannace

Consiglo Nazionale Delle Richerche

Anette Larsson

Chalmers, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Applied Chemistry

Carbohydrate Polymers

0144-8617 (ISSN)

Vol. 181 442-449

Subject Categories

Polymer Chemistry

Ceramics

Polymer Technologies

Areas of Advance

Production

Materials Science

DOI

10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.09.068

More information

Latest update

10/16/2018