ENGINEERING SUSTAINABLE NANOCELLULOSE SUPERABSORBENTS: CHARACTERIZATION AND APPLICATION

This PhD research manipulates the preparation methods and method parameters to engineer the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of nanocellulose superabsorbent polymer (SAP) for different applications, such as baby diaper, meat packaging, agriculture and diagnostic. The developed high strength nanocellulose SAP can perform efficiently to absorb water and body fluid. The quantified rapid biodegradation of these materials indicates their suitability to degrade in home compost in a sustainable way. This thesis contributes significantly to the fundamental knowledge of nanocellulose SAP and successfully applies the developed knowledge to engineer tunable materials for specific applications.