Enhancing the properties of carboxymethylated nanofibrillated cellulose by inclusion of water in the pretreatment process

Well-delaminated carboxymethylated nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC Carb ) systems are prerequisites for many industrial applications.In this study it was shown that addition of water, in a narrow range, not only improves the efficiency of the carboxymethylation process, but also enhances the degree of delamination of NFC Carb , which leads to improved properties.The observations were proposed to be due to a more homogeneous distribution of the charged groups, brought about by the higher swelling of fibers with inclusion of water.