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. 2022 Oct 5;14(19):4179.
doi: 10.3390/polym14194179.

Cellulose Fibre Degradation in Cellulose/Steel Hybrid Geotextiles under Outdoor Weathering Conditions

Avinash Pradip Manian  1 , Barbara Paul  1 , Helene Lanter  2 , Thomas Bechtold  1 , Tung Pham  1
Affiliations

Cellulose Fibre Degradation in Cellulose/Steel Hybrid Geotextiles under Outdoor Weathering Conditions

Avinash Pradip Manian et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

Risks from rockfall and land sliding can be controlled by high-tensile steel nets and meshes which stabilise critical areas. In many cases, a recultivation of the land is also desired. However, high-tensile steel meshes alone are not always sufficient, depending on the location and the inclination of the stabilised slope, to achieve rapid greening. Cellulose fibres exhibit high water binding capacity which supports plant growth. In this work, a hybrid structure consisting of a nonwoven cellulose fibre web and a steel mesh was produced and tested under outdoor conditions over a period of 61 weeks. The cellulose fibres are intended to support plant growth and soil fixation, and thus the biodegradation of the structure is highly relevant, as these fibres will become part of the soil and must be biodegradable. The biodegradation of the cellulose fibres over the period of outdoor testing was monitored by microscopy and analytical methods. The enzymatic degradation of the cellulose fibres led to a reduction in the average degree of polymerisation and also a reduction in the moisture content, as polymer chain hydrolysis occurs more rapidly in the amorphous regions of the fibres. FTIR analysis and determination of carboxylic group content did not indicate substantial changes in the remaining parts of the cellulose fibre. Plant growth covered geotextiles almost completely during the period of testing, which demonstrated their good compatibility with the greening process. Over the total period of 61 weeks, the residual parts of the biodegradable cellulose web merged with the soil beneath and growing plants. This indicates the potential of such hybrid concepts to contribute a positive effect in greening barren and stony land, in addition to the stabilising function of the steel net.

Keywords: biodegradation; cellulase; cellulose; geotextiles; moisture sorption.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Preparation of a prototype, (a) Viscose fibres are distributed randomly on the steel mesh, underneath there is a viscose fleece, (b) prototype after wet-laying process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Weather data simulated for the site of the out-door prototype testing (Romanshorn, CH) during the period of outdoor degradation tests (data provided by meteoblue.com).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Photographs of the installed prototypes, (a) installed prototype 1–6, (b) day of installation, (c) after 11 weeks, (d) after 22 weeks, (e) after 35 weeks (f) close-up view after 35 weeks.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Photographs of a cellulose fibre sample from prototype 1, (a) 15 weeks, (b) 47 weeks of outdoor installation.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Photographs of samples from prototype 1–6 after 61 weeks of outdoor weathering.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Photomicrographs of viscose fibres as function of time in outdoor weathering. (a) pristine CV fibres, (b,c) with use of higher magnification; (d) fibres after 15 weeks of outdoor weathering, (e,f) with use of higher magnification; (g) fibres after 47 weeks of outdoor weathering, (h,i) with use of higher magnification; (j) fibres after 61 weeks of outdoor weathering, (k,l) with use of higher magnification.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Degree of polymerization of the cellulose as function of time under outdoor conditions.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Moisture content of the viscose fibres of the prototypes during outdoor weathering as function of time (mean and standard deviation as error bar).
Figure 9
Figure 9
Carboxyl group content of weathered viscose samples as function of time.
Figure 10
Figure 10
FTIR-ATR spectra of prototype 4 as function of exposure time in outdoor weathering (week 0, 15, 35, 47, 61).
Figure 11
Figure 11
Zoomed-in section of the fingerprint region of theFTIR-ATR spectra of prototype 4 as function of exposure time in outdoor weathering (week 0, 15, 35, 47, 61).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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