When nanocellulose is dried, it agglomerates during re-dispersion in solvent and may require ultrasonic treatment to get a good dispersion. This ultrasonic treatment has the potential of further reducing the size of the nanofiber thereby changing the structure and morphology of the pre-dried sample. So how can this be avoided?
There are several methods to promote dispersion namely (Chuah, 2014):
Ultrasonication, use of surfactants or functionalisation to name a few.
Unfortunately, ultrasonication will fragment the nanocellulose.
Try to find a surfactant to maintain the dispersion.
Depends on the size of your material as well as what you are looking for; you may select a right method for drying. The morphological properties of the dried nanocelluloses are dependent on the particular drying method. Air or oven dry might affect the sample properties. Different technologies (alternate technique to dry) have been developed for drying nanocellulose at lab, pilot and large scale production such as spray drying, freeze drying, supercritical drying etc.
You can also use the dispersion to re-disperse dried nanocelluloses. However, it is better to think about to control the morphologies when you dry them.
If any further inquiries, please feel free to communicate.
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