Barriers from wood hydrolysate/quaternized cellulose polyelectrolyte complexes

Biobased polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) were prepared by mixing negatively charged O-acetyl-4-O-methylglucuronoxylan-rich wood hydrolysate (WH) and positively charged quaternized cellulose (QC) in aqueous solution. The WH was obtained as an aqueous process liquor of the hydrothermal treatment of birch wood chips and partially upgraded by membrane filtration and dialysis. Three QC derivatives with different degrees of quaternization were synthesized, characterized in terms of molecular weight, charge density, crystallinity and solubility, and utilized for PEC production. The WH/QC PECs were designed to form free-standing films with high oxygen barrier performance and good mechanical integrity. The impact of the QC degree of quaternization on the oxygen permeability at both 50 and 80 % relative humidity, water vapor permeability and tensile properties was investigated. Films with a tensile strain-to-break as high as 7 % and an oxygen permeability as low as 1.3 (cm(3) mu m)/(m(2) - day kPa) at 80 % relative humidity were achieved.