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Investigating different characterisation methods for protein-cellulose composites
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Perustieteiden korkeakoulu |
Master's thesis
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SCI3083
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en
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54+5
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Abstract
The surge in sustainable materials development is a direct response to the demand for environmentally friendly alternatives. This study emphasises the relevance of drawing inspiration from the natural environment to discover new components for sustainable solutions. Biocomposites, marked by significant progress in diverse raw materials, processing techniques, and applications, present promising alternatives to traditional composite materials. The aim is to reduce the carbon footprint and environmental strain, with numerous studies investigating the enhancement of mechanical performance.
This study investigates the characterisation of delignified cellulose samples infiltrated with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) protein using various methods due to inconsistent results with recombinant spider silk and cellulose. The analysis includes assessing protein infiltration depth in bulk cellulose and conducting mechanical tests on lap shear samples and cellulose stripes with different infiltration techniques. The impact of varied BSA concentrations on mechanical properties is explored. Results reveal that BSA concentration influences adhesiveness and mechanical performance for lap shear samples. Among tested concentrations, 80 mg/ml BSA displays high lap shear strength. However, the BSA 80 mg/ml shows high deviation on the test series. Therefore, further set ups were investigated.
The aim is to receive a better understanding of the mechanical properties and the adhesive abilities of the BSA. Furthermore, using the knowledge gained from the BSA samples for other proteins, e.g. spider silk protein, and to find the best way of infiltrating the protein towards delignified wood. This study sheds light on cellulose-protein interactions and their potential applications, requiring further exploration for optimised outcomes.