The development of biocomposites using renewable resources is a cost-effective and long-term solution to environmental and resource issues. Hydrogels [Poly Sodium Acrylate (PSA)] were created by variable percentages of crosslinker concentration, and banana–cellulose microfibril (CMF) was used as a filler in this study for better reinforcement. When the concentration of crosslinker is increased, the number of covalent crosslinks increases, limiting the movement of water molecules and lowering the diffusion coefficient, equilibrium water content, the initial rate of swelling, and the theoretical equilibrium swelling ratio. The swelling behaviour of reinforced PSA with high concentrations of CMF was unexpected; the hydrophilic OH groups of CMF increase the diffusion of water molecules from the swelling medium to inside the PSA, allowing for better mechanical behaviour of gels without sacrificing the swelling response. The swelling behaviour and swelling exponent of a hydrogel were determined at various temperatures, pH levels, and physiological fluid models. The swelling exponent's maximum value was discovered to be 0.5, which suggests that the hydrogel's water diffusion was non-Fickian in nature. The swelling ratio was found to rise with rising temperature and to have a lower value than that at room temperature. It was also proven that elevating the pH of the medium from 1 to 7 improved the PSA/CMF hydrogels' swelling response. The swelling behaviour of PSA/CMF hydrogels was also investigated as the concentration of CMF rose from 0.2 to 1%. The equilibrium water content, swelling kinetics, and water transport mechanisms were all investigated. The Flory–Rehner equation was applied to determine crosslinking density, polymer mesh size, and molecular weight between crosslinks.

음이온 교환막은 수전해 시스템에서 매우 중요한 역할을 하며, 생성된 수소와 산소 기체를 물리적으로 분리할 뿐 만 아니라 전극 사이에서 수산화 이온의 선택적인 전달을 용이하게 한다. 음이온 교환막에 요구되는 특성은 수산화 이온에 대한 높은 전도도와 알칼리 환경에서의 화학적/기계적 안정성 등이 있다. 본 연구에서는 셀룰로오스 나노 크리스탈이 포함된 poly(terphenyl piperidinium) (qPTP/CNC) 복합매질분리막을 제조하였다. 고분자 매질로 사용된 poly(terphenyl piperidinium) 은 super-acid 중합법을 통해 제조되었으며 이온전도성과 알칼라인 내구성이 뛰어난 소재로 알려져 있다. qPTP/CNC 분리막 의 구조는 고분자와 나노 입자 계면의 공극이나 큰 응집체가 없는 조밀하고 균일한 형태를 나타냈다. CNC 나노 입자가 2 wt% 첨가된 qPTP/CNC 분리막은 높은 이온교환용량(1.90 mmol/g)과 낮은 함수율(9.09%) 및 팽윤도(5.56%)를 보였다. 또한, 복합막은 수전해 작동 환경인 50°C 1 M KOH에서 상용 FAA-3-50 분리막에 비해 월등히 낮은 저항과 우수한 알칼라인 내구 성(384시간)을 달성했다. 이러한 결과는 친수성 첨가제인 CNC가 음이온 교환막의 이온 전도 특성과 알칼라인 내구성 향상에 기여할 수 있음을 보고하였다.

The pursuit of sustainable and durable cementitious composites has led to a growing interest in alternative materials that can improve mechanical performance while reducing CO2 emissions. Nanomaterials, in particular, offer promising avenues due to their unique properties, including high surface area to volume ratio and increased reactivity. This study investigates the efficacy of Cellulose Nanofibers (CNF) in enhancing the durability of mortar exposed to sulfate attacks and alkali-silica reactions (ASR). Both MgSO4 and Na2SO4 solutions were employed to simulate sulfate attacks, while the role of CNF in mitigating ASR was also evaluated. Results indicate that CNF incorporation positively impacts the resistance of mortar against sulfate attacks and ASR, paving the way for eco-friendly and durable cement-based structures with extended service life.

The significance of this study lies in addressing critical issues prevalent in the worldwide construction sector, particularly concerning the durability and sustainability of cement-based materials. Plain cement composites commonly suffer from deficiencies in tensile strength and strain capacity, resulting in the formation of nano-cracks under relatively low tensile loads. These nano- cracks pose a significant challenge to the longevity and resilience of cement matrices, contributing to structural degradation and reduced service life of infrastructure. To mitigate these challenges, the integration of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) as reinforcements in cement composites presents a promising solution. CNF, renowned for their exceptional material properties including high stiffness, tensile strength, and corrosion resistance, offer the potential to significantly enhance the mechanical performance and durability of cement-based materials. Through systematic experimentation, this study investigates the effects of CNF reinforcement on the mechanical properties of cement composites. By leveraging ultrasonically dispersion techniques, CNF extracted from bamboo, broad leaf, and kenaf are uniformly dispersed within the cement matrix at varying concentrations. Compressive and flexural tests are subsequently conducted to evaluate the impact of CNF on the strength characteristics of the cement composites. By elucidating the efficacy of CNF reinforcement through rigorous experimentation, this study aims to provide valuable insights into the development of construction materials with improved durability and sustainability. Ultimately, this research contributes to addressing critical challenges in the construction industry, offering potential solutions to enhance the performance and longevity of cement-based infrastructure.

Seawater evaporation and purification powered by solar energy are considered as a promising approach to alleviate the global freshwater crisis, and the development of photothermal materials with high efficiency is imminent. In this study, cellulose nanofiber (CNF)/MXene/Ni chain (CMN) aerogels were successfully synthesized by electrostatic force and hydrogen bond interaction force. CMN10 achieved a favorable evaporation rate as high as 1.85 kg m− 2 h− 1 in pure water, and the corresponding evaporation efficiency could be up to 96.04%. Even if it is applied to seawater with multiple interference factors, its evaporation rate can still be 1.81 kg m− 2 h− 1. The superior seawater evaporation activity origins from the promoted separation of photoexcited charges and photothermal conversion by the synergy of Ni chain and MXene, as well as the water transport channel supported by the 3D structure frame of CNF. Most importantly, CMN aerogel can maintain water vapor evaporation rates above 1.73 kg m− 2 h− 1 under extreme conditions such as acidic (pH 2) and alkaline (pH 12) conditions. In addition, various major ions, heavy metals and organic pollutants in seawater can be rejected by CMN10 during desalination, and the rejection rates can reach more than 99.69%, ensuring the purity of water resources after treatment. This work shows the great potential of CMN aerogel as a high-efficiency solar evaporator and low-cost photothermal conversion material. Cellulose nanofiber (CNF)/MXene/Ni chain (CMN) aerogels demonstrated high evaporation of water from sea water.

고성능 분리막 제조기술과 더불어 새로운 분리막 다단공정 설계를 통해 용매사용량 감소 및 선택도 향상이 가능 하다. 본 연구에서는 내용매성 셀룰로스 나노분리막을 제조하여 용매에 따른 용질의 선택도 차이를 비교하였다. 제막한 셀룰 로스 막을 기반으로 비극성 용매의 선택도 평가를 진행하였으며, 비극성 용매에서 용질에 대한 음배제율이 관측되었다. 특히, 분자량이 클수록 음배제율이 높아지는 역선택도의 거동을 확인하였다. 이를 기반으로 설계한 공정에서는 기존 분획 공정 대 비 3배 이상의 용매저감이 가능한 것을 확인할 수 있었다.

Dry active waste (DAW) contains substantial amount of cellulose related materials. The DAW are usually classified as low and/or very low-level waste. In Korea, three types of disposal facilities have been considered: silo, engineering barrier, and land-fill. Currently, only the silo type disposal facility is in operation. Around 27 thousand drums were disposed in silo. Massive amount of cement concrete is used in construction of silo. The ground waste, which flow through the concrete structure, shows higher pH than as it is. It is generally known that the pH of silo is ~12.47 in Korea, when considering construction material, filling material, and property of ground water. It is expected that the cellulose in DAW will be partially transformed to isosaccharinic acid (ISA). It is generally accepted that the ISA plays a negative role in safety analysis of disposal facility by stimulation of specific nuclides. Various factors affect the degradation of cellulose containing radioactive waste, such as degree of polymerization, pH of disposal condition, interaction between concrete structure and ground water, etc. In this paper, the disposal safety analysis of cellulose containing radioactive, usually paper, cotton, wood, etc., are studied. The degradation of cellulose with respect to degree of polymerization, pH of neighboring water, filling material of silo, etc. are reviewed. Based on the review results, it is reasonable to conclude that the substantial amount of DAW could be disposed in silo.

With the recent concern regarding cellulose enhancing radionuclide mobility upon its degradation to ISA, disposal of cellulosic wastes is being held off until the disposal safety is vindicated. Thus, a rational assessment should be conducted, applying an appropriate cellulose degradation model considering the disposal environment and cellulose degradation mechanisms. In this paper cellulose degradation mechanisms and the disposal environment are studied to propose the best-suitable cellulose degradation model for the domestic 1st phase repository. For the cellulose to readily degrade, the pH should be greater than 12.5. As in the case of SKB, 1BLA is excluded from the safety assessment because the pH of 1BLA remains below 12.5. Furthermore, despite cellulose degradation occurring, it does not always produce ISA. At low Ca2+ concentration, the ISA yield rate is around 25%, but at high Ca2+ concentration, the ISA yield rate increases up to 90%. Thus, for the cellulose to be a major concern, both pH and Ca2+ concentration conditions must be satisfied. To satisfy both conditions, the cement hydration must be in 2nd phase, when the porewater pH remains around 12.5 and a significant amount of Ca2+ ion is leaching out from the cement. However, according to the safety evaluation and domestic research, 2nd phase of cement hydration for silo concrete would achieve a pH of around 12.4, dissatisfying cellulose degradation condition like in 1BLA. Thus, cellulose degradation would be unlikely to occur in the domestic 1st phase repository. To derive waste acceptance criteria, a quantitative evaluation should be conducted, conservatively assuming cellulose is degraded. To conduct a safety evaluation, an appropriate degradation model should be applied to determine the degradation rate of cellulose. According to overseas research, despite the mid-chain scission being yet to be seen in the experiments, the degradation model considering mid-chain scission is applied, resulting in an almost 100% degradation rate. The model is selected because the repositories are backfilled with cement, achieving a pH greater than 13, so extensive degradation is reasonably conservative. However, under the domestic disposal condition, where cellulose degradation is unlikely to occur, applying such model would be excessively conservative. Thus, the peeling and stopping model derived by Van Loon and Haas, which suggests 10~25% degradation rate, is reasonably conservative. Based on this model, cellulose would not be a major concern in the domestic 1st phase repository. In the future, this study could be used as fundamental data for planning waste acceptance criteria.

To raise the physical strength of alginate beads, this study manufactured alginate-cellulose bead by adding cellulose to alginate, and wanted to identify whether falginate-cellulose beads were sufficiently efficient in removing heavy metals. To find out optimal amounts of alginate and cellulose injection, this study conducted a pilot study, and repeated experiments proved that alginate 2 w/v% + cellulose 1 w/v% were the optimal amounts in manufacturing beads. Using micro materials tester, this study compared strengths of alginate beads and alginate-cellulose beads. Choosing Cd2+, Pb2+, and Ni2+ as materials to be removed, this study analyzed concentrations of them before and after the treatment. Experiments showed that, compared with alginate beads, the strength of alginate-cellulose beads was 2.26 times stronger, and that the latter could remove 98.22%, 99.99%, and 92.57% of Cd2+, Pb2+, Ni2+, respectively. While addition of cellulose to alginate made the absorption rate drop by about 1%, the beads were still highly efficient in removing heavy metals. Accordingly, it seems that alginate-cellulose beads can be used in removing heavy metals.