Paper Number
PO5
Session
Poster Session
Title
Biomass microbeads as sustainable rheological modifiers for personal care consumer products
Presentation Date and Time
October 13, 2021 (Wednesday) 6:30
Track / Room
Poster Session / Ballroom 1-2-3-4
Authors
- Robertson, Benjamin P. (University of Minnesota, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science)
- Calabrese, Michelle A. (University of Minnesota, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science)
Author and Affiliation Lines
Benjamin P. Robertson and Michelle A. Calabrese
Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Speaker / Presenter
Robertson, Benjamin P.
Keywords
applied rheology; surfactants; suspensions
Text of Abstract
Plastic microbeads are commonly used as exfoliants and as rheological modifiers to improve viscosity, bulking, and film formation of personal care consumer products (PCCPs). While 95-99.9% of these beads are removed by sedimentation processes during wastewater treatment, trillions of these microplastics enter the environment daily in the US alone. Spherical microbeads made from biomass are a viable alternative to eliminate this source of microplastic pollution, and also present an opportunity for passive environmental remediation via toxin adsorption and capture. We synthesized an array of biomass microbeads by precipitating solutions of microcrystalline cellulose and Kraft lignin dissolved in ionic liquids (ILs) into an anti-solvent. Microbead size, symmetry, and rheological and mechanical properties strongly depend on both formulation parameters (biomass composition, concentration in IL) and processing parameters (nozzle size, anti-solvent, extraction solvent). Lignin incorporation reduced die swelling during processing, affording access to smaller microbeads; however, the Young’s modulus of lignin-containing beads obtained via mechanical compression was also reduced. Additional shear recovery experiments on various microbeads in a model detergent system demonstrate that rheological properties can be well controlled by tailoring microbead formulation, which can be used to inform the production of stable and environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic microbeads.