A critical pathway towards enhancing pulp mill biorefineries is to integrate the extraction and utilization of hemicelluloses into the pulping processes.Hence,an industrial pre-extraction strategy for hemicelluloses t...A critical pathway towards enhancing pulp mill biorefineries is to integrate the extraction and utilization of hemicelluloses into the pulping processes.Hence,an industrial pre-extraction strategy for hemicelluloses targeting eucalyptus kraft pulping process was developed.Alkaline solution or pulping white liquor was used to pre-extract hemicelluloses before the actual pulping process.The response surface methodology(RSM)technique was applied to investigate the most suitable conditions to maximize the yield of these hemicelluloses while simultaneously minimizing the damage to pulp yields and properties.Temperature(105 to 155℃),alkali concentration(3%to 8%),sulfidity(20%to 30%)and retention time(19 to 221 min)were combined to evaluate their effects on hemicellulose yields and chemical structures.The optimal pre-extraction conditions identified in this work(5.75%NaOH concentration,25%sulfidity at 135℃for 60 min)successfully allowed recovering 4.8%of hemicelluloses(based on the wood dry mass)and limited damages to pulp yields and properties.The cellulose content in pulp can even be increased by about 10%.Hemicellulose emulsification properties were also evaluated,which were comparable to synthetic emulsifiers.This study provides an industrial pathway to effectively separate and utilize wood hemicelluloses from the pulping process,which has the potential to improve the economy and material utilization of pulp and paper mills.展开更多
Cotton provides the most abundant natural fiber for the textile industry.The mature cotton fiber largely consists of secondary cell walls with the highest proportion of cellulose and a small amount of hemicellulose an...Cotton provides the most abundant natural fiber for the textile industry.The mature cotton fiber largely consists of secondary cell walls with the highest proportion of cellulose and a small amount of hemicellulose and lignin.To dissect the roles of hemicellulosic polysaccharides during fiber development,four IRREGULAR XYLEM 15(IRX15)genes,GhIRX15-1/-2/-3/-4,were functionally characterized in cotton.These genes encode DUF579 domain-containing proteins,which are homologs of AtIRX15 involved in xylan biosynthesis.The four GhIRX15 genes were predominantly expressed during fiber secondary wall thickening,and the encoded proteins were localized to the Golgi apparatus.Each GhIRX15 gene could restore the xylan deficient phenotype in the Arabidopsis irx15irx15l double mutant.Silencing of GhIRX15s in cotton resulted in shorter mature fibers with a thinner cell wall and reduced cellulose content as compared to the wild type.Intriguingly,GhIRX15-2 and GhIRX15-4 formed homodimers and heterodimers.In addition,the GhIRX15s showed physical interaction with glycosyltransferases GhGT43C,GhGT47A and GhGT47B,which are responsible for synthesis of the xylan backbone and reducing end sequence.Moreover,the GhIRX15s can form heterocomplexes with enzymes involved in xylan modification and side chain synthesis,such as GhGUX1/2,GhGXM1/2 and GhTBL1.These findings suggest that GhIRX15s participate in fiber xylan biosynthesis and modulate fiber development via forming large multiprotein complexes.展开更多
Corn as one of the world's major food crops,its by-product corn cob is also rich in resources.However,the unreasonable utilization of corn cob often causes the environmental pollution,waste of resources and other ...Corn as one of the world's major food crops,its by-product corn cob is also rich in resources.However,the unreasonable utilization of corn cob often causes the environmental pollution,waste of resources and other problems.As one of the most abundant polymers in nature,xylan is widely used in food,medicine,materials and other fields.Corn cob is rich in xylan,which is an ideal raw material for extracting xylan.However,the intractable lignin is covalently linked to xylan,which increases the difficulty of xylan extraction.It has been reported that the deep eutectic solvent(DES)could preferentially dissolve lignin in biomass,thereby dissolving the xylan.Then,the xylan in the extract was separated by ethanol precipitation method.The xylan precipitate was obtained after centrifugation,while the supernatant was retained.The components of the supernatant after ethanol precipitation were separated by the rotary evaporator.The ethanol,water and DES were collected for the subsequent extraction of corn cob xylan.In this study,a novel way was provided for the green production of corn cob xylan.The DES was used to extract xylan from corn cob which was used as the raw material.The effects of solid-liquid ratio,reaction time,reaction temperature and water content of DES on the extraction rate of corn cob xylan were investigated by the single factor test.Furthermore,the orthogonal test was designed to optimize the xylan extraction process.The structure of corn cob xylan was analyzed and verified.The results showed that the optimum extraction conditions of corn cob xylan were as follows:the ratio of corn cob to DES was 1:15(g:mL),the extraction time was 3 h,the extraction temperature was 60℃,and the water content of DES was 70%.Under these conditions,the extraction rate of xylan was 16.46%.The extracted corn cob xylan was distinctive triple helix of polysaccharide,which was similar to the structure of commercially available xylan.Xylan was effectively and workably extracted from corn cob by the DES method.This study provided a new approach for high value conversion of corn cob and the clean production of xylan.展开更多
Background:Two experiments were conducted to establish an optimal NE challenge model and evaluate the efficacy of stimbiotic(STB)supplementation in necrotic enteritis(NE)challenged broilers.In Exp.1,a total of 120 Arb...Background:Two experiments were conducted to establish an optimal NE challenge model and evaluate the efficacy of stimbiotic(STB)supplementation in necrotic enteritis(NE)challenged broilers.In Exp.1,a total of 120 Arbor Acres(AA)broilers(45.0±0.21 g)were randomly assigned to 6 treatments in a 3×2 factorial arrangement.Vaccine treatments included non-challenge(0),×10 the recommended dose(×10)or×20 the recommended dose(×20)by the manufacturer.Clostridium perfringens(CP)treatments were non-challenge(No)or 3 mL of 2.2×10^(7)CFU CP challenge(Yes).In Exp.2,a total of 72 AA broilers(40.17±0.27 g)were randomly assigned to 6 treatments in a 3×2 factorial arrangement.Dietary treatments included non-additive(CON),100 mg/kg STB(STB)and 100 mg/kg STB on top of a typical commercial blend including an essential oil,probiotics,and enzyme(CB).Challenge treatments included non-NE challenge(No)and NE challenge(Yes)as established in Exp.1.Results:In Exp.1,CP and vaccine challenge decreased(P<0.05)body weight(BW),body weight gain(BWG)and feed intake(FI),and increased(P<0.05)the number of broilers with diarrhea and intestinal lesions.The oral administration of×20 recommended dose of vaccines coupled with 3 mL of 2.2×10^(7)CFU CP resulted in(P<0.01)a significantly increased incidence of wet litter and intestinal lesions.Thus,this treatment was chosen as the challenge model for the successful inducement of NE in Exp.2.In Exp.2,the NE challenge negatively affected(P<0.01)growth performance,ileal morphology,immunoglobulin contents in blood,caecal microbiota in the caecum,footpad dermatitis,intestinal lesion scores,tumour necrosis factor(TNF-α)and endotoxin in the serum compared with the non-NE challenged birds.The supplementation of STB and CB in diets enhanced(P<0.05)growth performance,intestinal microbiota,and blood profiles by stimulating ileal morphology(VH and VH:CD)and propionate production in the cecum,and there were no differences in measured variables between STB and CB supplemented birds.Conclusion:Overall,these results indicate that STB supplementation was able to reduce the inflammatory response and improve the performance of NE challenged birds,and the supplementation of STB alone was as effective as a typical commercial blend containing a number of other additives.展开更多
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a warm-season annual. Kenaf fibers are commonly used for paper pulp and cordage, but it is also a promising lignocellulosic feedstock for bioenergy production, although optimum plant ...Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a warm-season annual. Kenaf fibers are commonly used for paper pulp and cordage, but it is also a promising lignocellulosic feedstock for bioenergy production, although optimum plant density for biomass production has not been determined for the northern region of the USA. The objective of this study was to determine the best plant density and row spacing of kenaf to maximize biomass yield and chemical composition for biofuel conversion. The experiments were conducted at Fargo and Prosper, ND, in 2010 and 2011. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement where the main plot was tworowspacings (30 and60 cm) and the sub-plot fourplant densities (32, 16, 8, and 4 plants·m-2). Row spacing had a significant effect on both biomass and biofuel yield. Narrower rows had higher biomass and biofuel yield. Maximum biomass and estimated biofuel yield was obtained with the two highest plant densities of 16 and 32 plants·m-2 and fluctuated between 9.45 and 10.22 Mg·ha-1 and 1354 and1464 L·ha-1, respectively. Stem diameter increased with a decrease in plant density. Chemical composition varied with plant density;glucan (27%) and xylan (9.8%) content were lower at the lowest plant density. Ash content was not different among plant densities but it is interesting to mention the very low ash content of kenaf (0.15%). According to the results of this study, it is recommended to plant kenaf at 30-cm rows with a plant density of 16 to 32 plants·m-2 to maximize biomass yield. Kenaf has a tremendous potential as a cellulosic feedstock for biofuel and green chemicals in the Northern Great Plains because of high biomass yield and low ash content.展开更多
Corn leaf and corn stalk were pretreated with only hot water and 0.1% sulfuric acid at 160℃ or 200℃, respectively. For hot water pretreatment, the pH of corn stalk hydrolysate decreased more rapidly than that of cor...Corn leaf and corn stalk were pretreated with only hot water and 0.1% sulfuric acid at 160℃ or 200℃, respectively. For hot water pretreatment, the pH of corn stalk hydrolysate decreased more rapidly than that of corn leaf as the reaction time increased. On the contrary, the pH of corn leaf hydrolysate increased more than that of corn stalk with diluted acid addition. Increasing temperature enhanced the xylose dissolution rate and increased cellulose digestibility. Compared with hot water, 0.1% sulfuric acid addition improved the xylan removal and the enzymatic hydrolysis of both corn leaf and corn stalk residue. Much less xylan must be removed to achieve the same cellulose digestibility for the corn leaf as that for the corn stalk; 55% digestibility was obtained when only 32% xylan was removed from corn leaf, whereas corn stalk required removal of about 50% of the xylan to achieve the same di- gestibility. Overall, the descending order of enzymatic digestibility was: dilute acid hydrolysate of corn leaf > dilute acid hydrolysate of corn stalk > water-only hydrolysate of corn leaf > water-only hydrolysate of corn stalk. Finally, one separate pretreatment strategy was developed to transfer corn leaf and corn stalk to fermentable sugars for fur- ther bioenergy production.展开更多
Interactions of lignocellulosic components during fiber analysis were investigated using the highly adopted compositional analysis procedure from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory（NREL）,USA.Synthetic feedstoc...Interactions of lignocellulosic components during fiber analysis were investigated using the highly adopted compositional analysis procedure from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory（NREL）,USA.Synthetic feedstock samples were used to study the effects of lignin/protein,cellulose/protein,and xylan/protein interaction on carbohydrate analysis.Disregarding structural influence in the synthetic samples,lignin and protein components were the most significant（P〈0.05）factors on cellulose analysis.Measured xylan was consistent and unaffected by content variation throughout the synthetic analysis.Validation of the observed relationships from synthetic feedstocks was fulfilled using real lignocellulosic feedstocks：corn stover,poplar,and alfalfa,in which similar results have been obtained,excluding cellulose analysis of poplar under higher protein content and xylan analysis of alfalfa under higher protein content.The results elucidated that according to their protein and lignin contents of different lignocellulosic materials,accuracy of the NREL method on cellulose and xylan analyses could be improved by applying a stronger extraction step to replace water/ethanol extraction.展开更多
The goal of this work is to produce nanocomposite film with low oxygen permeability by casting an aqueous solution containing xylan,sorbitol and nanocrystalline cellulose.The morphology of the resulting nanocomposite ...The goal of this work is to produce nanocomposite film with low oxygen permeability by casting an aqueous solution containing xylan,sorbitol and nanocrystalline cellulose.The morphology of the resulting nanocomposite films was examined by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy which showed that control films containing xylan and sorbitol had a more open structure as compared to xylan-sorbitol films containing sulfonated nanocrystalline cellulose.The average pore diameter,bulk density,porosity and tortuosity factor measurements of control xylan films and nanocomposite xylan films were examined by mercury intrusion porosimetry techniques.Xylan films reinforced with nanocrystalline cellulose were denser and exhibited higher tortuosity factor than the control xylan films.Control xylan films had average pore diameter,bulk density,porosity and tortuosity factor of 0.1730 μm,0.6165 g/ml,53.0161% and 1.258,respectively as compared to xylan films reinforced with 50% nanocrystalline cellulose with average pore diameter of 0.0581 μm,bulk density of 1.1513 g/ml,porosity of 22.8906% and tortuosity factor of 2.005.Oxygen transmission rate tests demonstrated that films prepared with xylan,sorbitol and 5%,10%,25% and 50% sulfonated nanocrystalline cellulose exhibited a significantly reduced oxygen permeability of 1.1387,1.0933,0.8986 and 0.1799 cm^3×μm/m^2×d×k Pa respectively with respect to films prepared solely from xylan and sorbitol with a oxygen permeability of 189.1665 cm^3×μm/m^2×d×k Pa.These properties suggested these nanocomposite films have promising barrier properties.展开更多
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2023A1515030211)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22278157)Guangzhou Science and Technology Program(2023B03J1365).
文摘A critical pathway towards enhancing pulp mill biorefineries is to integrate the extraction and utilization of hemicelluloses into the pulping processes.Hence,an industrial pre-extraction strategy for hemicelluloses targeting eucalyptus kraft pulping process was developed.Alkaline solution or pulping white liquor was used to pre-extract hemicelluloses before the actual pulping process.The response surface methodology(RSM)technique was applied to investigate the most suitable conditions to maximize the yield of these hemicelluloses while simultaneously minimizing the damage to pulp yields and properties.Temperature(105 to 155℃),alkali concentration(3%to 8%),sulfidity(20%to 30%)and retention time(19 to 221 min)were combined to evaluate their effects on hemicellulose yields and chemical structures.The optimal pre-extraction conditions identified in this work(5.75%NaOH concentration,25%sulfidity at 135℃for 60 min)successfully allowed recovering 4.8%of hemicelluloses(based on the wood dry mass)and limited damages to pulp yields and properties.The cellulose content in pulp can even be increased by about 10%.Hemicellulose emulsification properties were also evaluated,which were comparable to synthetic emulsifiers.This study provides an industrial pathway to effectively separate and utilize wood hemicelluloses from the pulping process,which has the potential to improve the economy and material utilization of pulp and paper mills.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31970516 and 32372104)the Foundation of Hubei Hongshan Laboratory(2021hszd014).
文摘Cotton provides the most abundant natural fiber for the textile industry.The mature cotton fiber largely consists of secondary cell walls with the highest proportion of cellulose and a small amount of hemicellulose and lignin.To dissect the roles of hemicellulosic polysaccharides during fiber development,four IRREGULAR XYLEM 15(IRX15)genes,GhIRX15-1/-2/-3/-4,were functionally characterized in cotton.These genes encode DUF579 domain-containing proteins,which are homologs of AtIRX15 involved in xylan biosynthesis.The four GhIRX15 genes were predominantly expressed during fiber secondary wall thickening,and the encoded proteins were localized to the Golgi apparatus.Each GhIRX15 gene could restore the xylan deficient phenotype in the Arabidopsis irx15irx15l double mutant.Silencing of GhIRX15s in cotton resulted in shorter mature fibers with a thinner cell wall and reduced cellulose content as compared to the wild type.Intriguingly,GhIRX15-2 and GhIRX15-4 formed homodimers and heterodimers.In addition,the GhIRX15s showed physical interaction with glycosyltransferases GhGT43C,GhGT47A and GhGT47B,which are responsible for synthesis of the xylan backbone and reducing end sequence.Moreover,the GhIRX15s can form heterocomplexes with enzymes involved in xylan modification and side chain synthesis,such as GhGUX1/2,GhGXM1/2 and GhTBL1.These findings suggest that GhIRX15s participate in fiber xylan biosynthesis and modulate fiber development via forming large multiprotein complexes.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China[21978070]Natural Science Foundation of Henan[212300410032,232103810065]+2 种基金Key Research and Development Projects of Henan Province[221111320500]Program for Science&Technology Innovation Talents in Universities of Henan Province[20HASTIT034]Henan Province“Double First-Class”Project-Food Science and Technology.
文摘Corn as one of the world's major food crops,its by-product corn cob is also rich in resources.However,the unreasonable utilization of corn cob often causes the environmental pollution,waste of resources and other problems.As one of the most abundant polymers in nature,xylan is widely used in food,medicine,materials and other fields.Corn cob is rich in xylan,which is an ideal raw material for extracting xylan.However,the intractable lignin is covalently linked to xylan,which increases the difficulty of xylan extraction.It has been reported that the deep eutectic solvent(DES)could preferentially dissolve lignin in biomass,thereby dissolving the xylan.Then,the xylan in the extract was separated by ethanol precipitation method.The xylan precipitate was obtained after centrifugation,while the supernatant was retained.The components of the supernatant after ethanol precipitation were separated by the rotary evaporator.The ethanol,water and DES were collected for the subsequent extraction of corn cob xylan.In this study,a novel way was provided for the green production of corn cob xylan.The DES was used to extract xylan from corn cob which was used as the raw material.The effects of solid-liquid ratio,reaction time,reaction temperature and water content of DES on the extraction rate of corn cob xylan were investigated by the single factor test.Furthermore,the orthogonal test was designed to optimize the xylan extraction process.The structure of corn cob xylan was analyzed and verified.The results showed that the optimum extraction conditions of corn cob xylan were as follows:the ratio of corn cob to DES was 1:15(g:mL),the extraction time was 3 h,the extraction temperature was 60℃,and the water content of DES was 70%.Under these conditions,the extraction rate of xylan was 16.46%.The extracted corn cob xylan was distinctive triple helix of polysaccharide,which was similar to the structure of commercially available xylan.Xylan was effectively and workably extracted from corn cob by the DES method.This study provided a new approach for high value conversion of corn cob and the clean production of xylan.
基金AB Vista(Marlborough,Wiltshire,UK)for providing the feed additives and funding this research。
文摘Background:Two experiments were conducted to establish an optimal NE challenge model and evaluate the efficacy of stimbiotic(STB)supplementation in necrotic enteritis(NE)challenged broilers.In Exp.1,a total of 120 Arbor Acres(AA)broilers(45.0±0.21 g)were randomly assigned to 6 treatments in a 3×2 factorial arrangement.Vaccine treatments included non-challenge(0),×10 the recommended dose(×10)or×20 the recommended dose(×20)by the manufacturer.Clostridium perfringens(CP)treatments were non-challenge(No)or 3 mL of 2.2×10^(7)CFU CP challenge(Yes).In Exp.2,a total of 72 AA broilers(40.17±0.27 g)were randomly assigned to 6 treatments in a 3×2 factorial arrangement.Dietary treatments included non-additive(CON),100 mg/kg STB(STB)and 100 mg/kg STB on top of a typical commercial blend including an essential oil,probiotics,and enzyme(CB).Challenge treatments included non-NE challenge(No)and NE challenge(Yes)as established in Exp.1.Results:In Exp.1,CP and vaccine challenge decreased(P<0.05)body weight(BW),body weight gain(BWG)and feed intake(FI),and increased(P<0.05)the number of broilers with diarrhea and intestinal lesions.The oral administration of×20 recommended dose of vaccines coupled with 3 mL of 2.2×10^(7)CFU CP resulted in(P<0.01)a significantly increased incidence of wet litter and intestinal lesions.Thus,this treatment was chosen as the challenge model for the successful inducement of NE in Exp.2.In Exp.2,the NE challenge negatively affected(P<0.01)growth performance,ileal morphology,immunoglobulin contents in blood,caecal microbiota in the caecum,footpad dermatitis,intestinal lesion scores,tumour necrosis factor(TNF-α)and endotoxin in the serum compared with the non-NE challenged birds.The supplementation of STB and CB in diets enhanced(P<0.05)growth performance,intestinal microbiota,and blood profiles by stimulating ileal morphology(VH and VH:CD)and propionate production in the cecum,and there were no differences in measured variables between STB and CB supplemented birds.Conclusion:Overall,these results indicate that STB supplementation was able to reduce the inflammatory response and improve the performance of NE challenged birds,and the supplementation of STB alone was as effective as a typical commercial blend containing a number of other additives.
文摘Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a warm-season annual. Kenaf fibers are commonly used for paper pulp and cordage, but it is also a promising lignocellulosic feedstock for bioenergy production, although optimum plant density for biomass production has not been determined for the northern region of the USA. The objective of this study was to determine the best plant density and row spacing of kenaf to maximize biomass yield and chemical composition for biofuel conversion. The experiments were conducted at Fargo and Prosper, ND, in 2010 and 2011. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement where the main plot was tworowspacings (30 and60 cm) and the sub-plot fourplant densities (32, 16, 8, and 4 plants·m-2). Row spacing had a significant effect on both biomass and biofuel yield. Narrower rows had higher biomass and biofuel yield. Maximum biomass and estimated biofuel yield was obtained with the two highest plant densities of 16 and 32 plants·m-2 and fluctuated between 9.45 and 10.22 Mg·ha-1 and 1354 and1464 L·ha-1, respectively. Stem diameter increased with a decrease in plant density. Chemical composition varied with plant density;glucan (27%) and xylan (9.8%) content were lower at the lowest plant density. Ash content was not different among plant densities but it is interesting to mention the very low ash content of kenaf (0.15%). According to the results of this study, it is recommended to plant kenaf at 30-cm rows with a plant density of 16 to 32 plants·m-2 to maximize biomass yield. Kenaf has a tremendous potential as a cellulosic feedstock for biofuel and green chemicals in the Northern Great Plains because of high biomass yield and low ash content.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.29976045).
文摘Corn leaf and corn stalk were pretreated with only hot water and 0.1% sulfuric acid at 160℃ or 200℃, respectively. For hot water pretreatment, the pH of corn stalk hydrolysate decreased more rapidly than that of corn leaf as the reaction time increased. On the contrary, the pH of corn leaf hydrolysate increased more than that of corn stalk with diluted acid addition. Increasing temperature enhanced the xylose dissolution rate and increased cellulose digestibility. Compared with hot water, 0.1% sulfuric acid addition improved the xylan removal and the enzymatic hydrolysis of both corn leaf and corn stalk residue. Much less xylan must be removed to achieve the same cellulose digestibility for the corn leaf as that for the corn stalk; 55% digestibility was obtained when only 32% xylan was removed from corn leaf, whereas corn stalk required removal of about 50% of the xylan to achieve the same di- gestibility. Overall, the descending order of enzymatic digestibility was: dilute acid hydrolysate of corn leaf > dilute acid hydrolysate of corn stalk > water-only hydrolysate of corn leaf > water-only hydrolysate of corn stalk. Finally, one separate pretreatment strategy was developed to transfer corn leaf and corn stalk to fermentable sugars for fur- ther bioenergy production.
基金supported by the Michigan Public Service Commission (PSC-09-19),USAthe Michigan Animal Agriculture Initiative, the Michigan State Agricultural Station, Michigan State University (MSU) Ag Bio Researchthe MSU Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies,USA
文摘Interactions of lignocellulosic components during fiber analysis were investigated using the highly adopted compositional analysis procedure from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory（NREL）,USA.Synthetic feedstock samples were used to study the effects of lignin/protein,cellulose/protein,and xylan/protein interaction on carbohydrate analysis.Disregarding structural influence in the synthetic samples,lignin and protein components were the most significant（P〈0.05）factors on cellulose analysis.Measured xylan was consistent and unaffected by content variation throughout the synthetic analysis.Validation of the observed relationships from synthetic feedstocks was fulfilled using real lignocellulosic feedstocks：corn stover,poplar,and alfalfa,in which similar results have been obtained,excluding cellulose analysis of poplar under higher protein content and xylan analysis of alfalfa under higher protein content.The results elucidated that according to their protein and lignin contents of different lignocellulosic materials,accuracy of the NREL method on cellulose and xylan analyses could be improved by applying a stronger extraction step to replace water/ethanol extraction.
基金the member companies of IPST at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the IPST Fellowship
文摘The goal of this work is to produce nanocomposite film with low oxygen permeability by casting an aqueous solution containing xylan,sorbitol and nanocrystalline cellulose.The morphology of the resulting nanocomposite films was examined by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy which showed that control films containing xylan and sorbitol had a more open structure as compared to xylan-sorbitol films containing sulfonated nanocrystalline cellulose.The average pore diameter,bulk density,porosity and tortuosity factor measurements of control xylan films and nanocomposite xylan films were examined by mercury intrusion porosimetry techniques.Xylan films reinforced with nanocrystalline cellulose were denser and exhibited higher tortuosity factor than the control xylan films.Control xylan films had average pore diameter,bulk density,porosity and tortuosity factor of 0.1730 μm,0.6165 g/ml,53.0161% and 1.258,respectively as compared to xylan films reinforced with 50% nanocrystalline cellulose with average pore diameter of 0.0581 μm,bulk density of 1.1513 g/ml,porosity of 22.8906% and tortuosity factor of 2.005.Oxygen transmission rate tests demonstrated that films prepared with xylan,sorbitol and 5%,10%,25% and 50% sulfonated nanocrystalline cellulose exhibited a significantly reduced oxygen permeability of 1.1387,1.0933,0.8986 and 0.1799 cm^3×μm/m^2×d×k Pa respectively with respect to films prepared solely from xylan and sorbitol with a oxygen permeability of 189.1665 cm^3×μm/m^2×d×k Pa.These properties suggested these nanocomposite films have promising barrier properties.
