LAUSR

High aspect ratio carboxycellulose nanofibers (NOCNF), having typical length over 1000 nm, width ∼4.6 nm, thickness ∼1.3 nm, and carboxylate content of 0.42 mmol/g, were extracted from jute fibers using a modified nitro-oxidation method. The extracted nanofiber was found to possess crystallinity of 69% (measured by wide-angle X-ray diffraction, WAXD), relatively higher than that of raw jute fibers (crystallinity ∼61%). Gelation of NOCNF in aqueous suspensions was observed due to the high aspect ratio of the fiber even at a relatively low concentration. Rheological studies on the NOCNF suspensions at different concentrations (0.01–1 wt %) revealed the shear-thinning behavior with increasing shear rate. The corresponding viscoelastic moduli (G′ and G′′) results indicated that the NOCNF suspension at concentration between 0.1 and 0.2 wt % possessed a liquid–gel transition. The rheological data near the gelation point could be fitted by the Winter–Chambon model, where the results confirmed the formation of a ...