Aug 8, 2023
Updated: Sep 28, 2023
Willow bark extracts can modify the rheological properties (increase in storage modulus) of nanocellulose hydrogels, and decrease significantly their swelling.
The hydrogel was successfully transformed into wet foam forming self-standing films upon drying. The bioactive properties of willow bark were preserved in the dry foam film and, moreover, the water resistance of foams was improved enabling their applicability to smart packaging.
We have developed a method to decrease the bubble size of wet foam and this method produces water-resistant dry fiber foams.
Huynh, N., Valle-Delgado, J. J., Fang, W., Arola, S., and Österberg, M. Tuning the water interactions of cellulose nanofibril hydrogels using willow bark extract, Carbohydrate Polymers, 37, 121095, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121095
The work was highlighted also in Biotalous.fi.