Extraction of Cellulose from Paper Towels for Sustainable Bio-Based Polyurethane Adhesives.
Category
Sciences and Technology
Department
Material Science
Student Status
Graduate
Research Advisor
Dr. Ram Gupta
Document Type
Event
Location
Student Center Ballroom
Start Date
10-4-2025 2:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2025 4:00 PM
Description
The increasing consumption of paper towels generates significant waste, necessitating sustainable recycling solutions. This study investigates the extraction of cellulose from wastepaper towels and its application in bio-based polyurethane adhesives. The extraction process includes alkali treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis to obtain recycled cellulose (rCL). The extracted cellulose is then used in polyurethane (PU) synthesis alongside castor oil polyol (COP) and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), with performance compared to industrial cellulose-based polyurethane. The obtained rCL and synthesized PU adhesives have been characterized with FT-IR spectra for structural confirmation. In addition, the synthesized PU adhesives demonstrated improved mechanical and thermal properties. At room temperature, tensile testing showed that rCL-5wt.% exhibited a higher tensile strength of 7.37 MPa as compared to 6.36 MPa for CL-5 wt.%, indicating better mechanical strength of PU adhesives with rCL. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed an elevated glass transition temperature (Tg) of 82.24℃ for the rCL-5wt.% and 72.26 oC for the CL-5wt.% as compared to 68.74 oC for the control sample, indicating improved thermal stability. Gel swell analysis confirmed a lower swelling and higher gel content for rCL-5wt.% as compared to CL-5wt.%, reflecting a denser, more robust polymer network structure with high crosslinking with rCL. These results suggest that recycled cellulose is a viable alternative to industrial cellulose for sustainable polymer applications. The study contributes to eco-friendly material development by promoting waste utilization and reducing reliance on petrochemical-based adhesives.
Extraction of Cellulose from Paper Towels for Sustainable Bio-Based Polyurethane Adhesives.
Student Center Ballroom
The increasing consumption of paper towels generates significant waste, necessitating sustainable recycling solutions. This study investigates the extraction of cellulose from wastepaper towels and its application in bio-based polyurethane adhesives. The extraction process includes alkali treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis to obtain recycled cellulose (rCL). The extracted cellulose is then used in polyurethane (PU) synthesis alongside castor oil polyol (COP) and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), with performance compared to industrial cellulose-based polyurethane. The obtained rCL and synthesized PU adhesives have been characterized with FT-IR spectra for structural confirmation. In addition, the synthesized PU adhesives demonstrated improved mechanical and thermal properties. At room temperature, tensile testing showed that rCL-5wt.% exhibited a higher tensile strength of 7.37 MPa as compared to 6.36 MPa for CL-5 wt.%, indicating better mechanical strength of PU adhesives with rCL. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed an elevated glass transition temperature (Tg) of 82.24℃ for the rCL-5wt.% and 72.26 oC for the CL-5wt.% as compared to 68.74 oC for the control sample, indicating improved thermal stability. Gel swell analysis confirmed a lower swelling and higher gel content for rCL-5wt.% as compared to CL-5wt.%, reflecting a denser, more robust polymer network structure with high crosslinking with rCL. These results suggest that recycled cellulose is a viable alternative to industrial cellulose for sustainable polymer applications. The study contributes to eco-friendly material development by promoting waste utilization and reducing reliance on petrochemical-based adhesives.
