Linseed
oil-in-water Pickering emulsions are stabilized by both
sulfated CNCs (sCNCs) and octylamine-modified CNCs (oCNCs). oCNCs
with hydrophobic moieties grafted on the surfaces of otherwise intact
nanocrystals provided emulsions exhibiting stronger resistance to
creaming of oil droplets, compared with unmodified sCNCs. sCNCs were
not able to completely stabilize linseed oil in water at low CNC concentrations
while oCNCs provided emulsions with no unemulsified oil residue at
the same concentrations. Oil droplets in oCNC emulsions were smaller
than those in samples stabilized by sCNCs, corresponding with an increased
hydrophobicity of oCNCs. Cryo-SEM imaging of stabilized droplets demonstrated
the formation of a CNC network at the oil–water interface,
protecting the oil droplets from coalescence even after compaction
under centrifugal force. These oil droplets, protected by a stabilized
CNC network, were dispersed in a water-based commercial varnish, to
generate a composite coating. Scratches made on these coatings self-healed
as a result of the reaction of the linseed oil bled from the damaged
droplets with oxygen. The leakage and drying of the linseed oil at
the location of the scratches happened without intervention and was
accelerated by the application of heat.
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