The young's modulus of a microcrystalline cellulose

This research is concerned with an investigation into the determination of the micromechanical properties of a particulate form of cellulose, namely microcrystalline cellulose. Using the technique of Raman spectroscopy the shift in the 1095 cm-1 Raman band, characteristic of cellulose, with strain is monitored and compared to the deformation of natural cellulose fibres (flax and hemp). From the values of the shift rate of the 1095 cm-1 band for flax and hemp and the experimentally determined value for microcrystalline cellulose the value for the Young's modulus of microcrystalline cellulose was estimated to be 25 ± 4 GPa. It has been shown that this value is consistent with the measured degree of crystallinity of microcrystalline cellulose. Theoretical modelling has also enabled the Young's modulus for compacted microcrystalline cellulose to be determined for fibres in either 2-D in-plane and 3-D arrangements. These values have been shown to be consistent with recent direct measurements of the modulus of compacted material.