Scalable, Flexible, and Highly Transmission Sweet Sorghum Film

Abstract

As a nonfood crop, sweet sorghum has been extensively utilized for sugar production and biomass energy conversion. However, industrial production generates a significant amount of sweet sorghum skin. Although paper and cellulose-based films are commonly prepared through a bottom-up approach to capitalize on their abundant cellulose content. The bottom-up approach often involves the use of substantial quantities of chemical reagents, thereby posing a serious threat to environmental safety. In this study, inspired by the arrangement of traditional Chinese house roof tiles, we employed a stacking and hot-pressing preparation strategy to transform sweet sorghum skins into flexible sweet sorghum films (SF). SF retained the high degree of orientation of cellulose while obtaining high strength and toughness along with excellent light transmission properties. In particular, the mechanical properties of SF in the direction parallel to the fibers are exceptionally remarkable. The tensile strength measured 796.4 MPa, while the toughness stands at 7.63 MJ/m3. Additionally, SF exhibited outstanding optical characteristics, boasting a remarkable light transmission of 78% and a haze of 60%. Moreover, we established the feasibility of utilizing SF as a functional material for various applications, showcasing its potential for optical management, smart wearables, and electronic devices. Importantly, the successful preparation of large-size SF unlocked possibilities for their widespread and large-scale utilization, thus making a valuable contribution to environmental sustainability.

All-Cellulose Bioplastics from Waste Wood Particles

“…The utilization of bioplastics helps to decrease the dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the bioplastics are originated from cellulose, chitin, starch, sugar etc., which are primarily renewable in nature. − Among them, nanocellulose (NC), which comprises the structural framework of wood and plants, boasts numerous benefits, such as a substantial specific area, remarkable mechanical properties, and straightforward surface functionalization . Furthermore, NC films could achieve a high optical transmittance (≈90%), comparable to those of petroleum-based plastics, due to their nanoscale fiber structure .…”