Mechanical characterization of cellulose single nanofiber by atomic force microscopy

Cellulose fibers are strong natural fibers and they are renewable, biodegradable and the most abundant biopolymer in the world. So to develop new cellulose fibers based products, the mechanical properties of cellulose nanofibers would be a key. The atomic microscope is used to measure the mechanical properties of cellulose nanofibers based on 3-points bending of cellulose nanofiber. The cellulose nanofibers were generated for an aqueous counter collision system. The cellulose microfibers were nanosized under 200 MPa high pressure. The cellulose nanofiber suspension was diluted with DI water and sprayed on the silicon groove substrate. By performing a nanoscale 3-points bending test using the atomic force microscopy, a known force was applied on the center of the fiber. The elastic modulus of the single nanofiber is obtained by calculating the fiber deflection and several parameters. The elastic modulus values were obtained from different resources of cellulose such as hardwood, softwood and cotton.