Endo-Exoglucanase Synergism for Cellulose Nanofibril Production Assessment and Characterization

A study to produce cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) from kraft cellulose pulp was conducted using a centroid simplex mixture design. The enzyme blend contains 69% endoglucanase and 31% exoglucanase. The central composite rotational design (CCRD) optimized the CNF production process by achieving a higher crystallinity index. It thus corresponded to a solid loading of 15 g/L and an enzyme loading of 0.974. Using the Segal formula, the crystallinity index (CrI) of the CNF was determined by X-ray diffraction to be 80.87%. The average diameter of the CNF prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis was 550–600 nm, while the one produced by enzymatic hydrolysis and with ultrasonic dispersion was 250–300 nm. Finally, synergistic interactions between the enzymes involved in nanocellulose production were demonstrated, with Colby factor values greater than one.