Effect of Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose on Water and Salt Transport Characteristics of Saline-Alkali Soil in Xinjiang, China

Development of biodegradable packaging films from carboxymethyl cellulose and oxidised natural rubber latex

The present study investigates the biopolymer packaging film developed from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with varying concentrations of natural rubber latex (NR) and oxidised natural rubber latex (ONR) using the solvent casting method. The physicochemical properties of the CMC/NR and CMC/ONR film samples were characterised using FTIR, TG/DTA, DSC, SEM, and XRD analysis. The increased concentration of NR and ONR helped to enhance mechanical characteristics, superior UV resistance, enhanced resistance to oxygen and water vapour penetration, improved dimensional stability, and a reduction in the moisture retention ability of the film samples. The CMC sample film, incorporated with 1.5 g ONR, was found to have more than a 100 % increase in the tensile strength. The tensile value increased from 21.56 MPa to 48.36 MPa, with the highest young modulus of 0.73 GPa and elastic stability of 7.14 %. The incorporation of NR and ONR significantly reduced the super water absorbency nature of the CMC film, and the moisture content values reduced from 21.6 % to ≅ 0.15 % for ONR-incorporated film. Additionally, the CMC/NR and CMC/ONR films exhibited high optical transparency values and were found to be fast biodegradable, substantiating their potential use in various packaging applications. Application of these materials in perishable fruit packaging has shown significant enhancement in shelf life, highlighting their practical efficiency and potential for sustainable packaging solutions.

Application of carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMCNa) in maize-wheat cropping system (MWCS) in coastal saline-alkali soil

Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMCNa) application has been a promising approach to improve soil quality. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of CMC-Na on soil infiltration, evaporation, water-salt distribution, crop growth, water use efficiency and net profit (Net) in a coastal saline-alkali soil maize-wheat cropping system (MWCS). Five CMC-Na application amounts (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 g kg-1) were designed for the soil column experiment indoor, and five CMC-Na application amounts were used in 2019-2020 field experiment (CK: 0, C10: 10 kg ha-1, C20: 10 kg ha-1, C30: 10 kg ha-1 and C50: 10 kg ha-1), No treatment will be applied in 2021. The results showed that (1) CMC-Na treatment reduced soil cumulative infiltration, infiltration rate, daily evaporation, and cumulative evaporation. (2) After the application of CMCNa, the average soil water storage (SWS) in the 0-60 cm soil layer increased, and soil salinity (SSC) decreased in most treatments. (3) In the 2019-2020, the maize aboveground biomass (B), yield (Y) and water use efficiency (WUE) were the highest under the C20 and C30 treatments, which were 15.24 and 15.32 t ha-1, 5.67 and 5.49 t ha-1 and 1.74 and 1.52 kg ha-1 mm-1, respectively, and the wheat under C30 treatment is the highest, which were 10.98 t ha-1, 5.27 t ha-1 and 1.78 kg ha-1 mm-1. (4) A dose of 25.5 kg ha-1 and 38.9 kg ha-1 was recommended as the most optimal CMC-Na application for maize and wheat in coastal saline alkali soil, respectively.

Organic Amendments promote saline-alkali soil desalinization and enhance maize growth

Secondary soil salinization in arid and semi-arid regions is a serious problem that severely hampers local agricultural productivity and poses a threat to the long-term sustainability of food production. the utilization of organic soil amendments presents a promising approach to mitigate yield losses and promote sustainable agricultural production in saline-alkali soil. In this study, we established four distinct treatments, chemical fertilizer (CK), humic acid with chemical fertilizer (HA), carboxymethyl cellulose with chemical fertilizer (CMC), and amino acid with chemical fertilizer (AA), to elucidate their respective impacts on the reclamation of saline soil and the growth of maize. The findings of our study reveal notable variations in desalination rates within the 0-40 cm soil layer due to the application of distinct soil amendments, ranging from 11.66% to 37.17%. Moreover, application of amendments significantly increased the percentage of soil macro-aggregates as compared to the CK treatment. Furthermore, HA and AA treatments significantly augmented soil nutrient content (HA: 48.07%; AA: 39.50%), net photosynthetic rate (HA: 12.68%; AA: 13.94%), intercellular CO2 concentration (HA: 57.20%; AA: 35.93%) and maize yield (HA:18.32%; AA:16.81%). Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling unveiled diverse mechanisms of yield enhancement for HA, CMC, and AA treatments. HA enhanced yield by increasing organic matter and promoting soil aggregate formation, CMC improved soil water content and facilitated salt leaching due to its excellent water-holding properties, while AA increased yield by elevating soil organic matter and effective nitrogen content. Among the array of soil amendment materials scrutinized, HA treatment emerged as the most promising agent for enhancing soil conditions and is thus recommended as the preferred choice for treating local saline soils.

Preparation, Structure and Characterization of Polymer/Cement Composites

Polymer/cement composites have gained significant attention in civil engineering due to their improved properties compared to traditional cement-based materials [...].

Synergistic effects of biochar and carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC) applications on improving water retention and aggregate stability in desert soils

Making improvements to the water-holding characteristics and water-erosion resistance of desert soils, particularly in inland extremely arid areas, is vital for achieving both sustainable water resource utilisation and food security. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of the co-application of biochar and carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC) on the physical properties of sandy desert soil, including infiltration rate, saturated water conductivity, field water-holding capacity and aggregate stability. Sandy desert soil samples were collected from jujube plantations on the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in the Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang, China. Five CMC application ratios (C0:0, C1:0.01 g/kg, C2:0.02 g/kg, C3:0.04 g/kg and C4:0.08 g/kg) and five biochar application ratios (B0:0, B1:1.0 g/kg, B2:2.0 g/kg, B3:4.0 g/kg and B4:8.0 g/kg) were designed and a total of 11 experimental treatments were performed, which were labelled as CK (control group), B2C0, B2C1, B2C2, B2C3, B2C4, B4C4, B0C2, B1C2, B3C2 and B4C2. Compared with CK, the combined application of biochar and CMC reduced the soil bulk density (BD) by 1.29-9.41% and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) by 29.64-94.98%, and increased the soil saturated water content (SSWC) by 8.81-30.74% and the water holding capacity (WHC) by 13.91-36.87%. Similarly, the water-stable aggregates that were co-applied with biochar and CMC increased by 29.10-256.86%. This resulted in significant improvement in the stability of sandy desert soil against water erosion. The principal component analysis (PCA) results found B4C4 to have the best comprehensive improvement effect. Therefore, 0.08 g/kg of CMC and 8.0 g/kg of biochar were used as recommended for improving the hydraulic properties of desert soils. Generally, CMC and biochar have a mutually complementary effect on improving sandy desert soil, providing new ideas and approaches for the improvement of soil and the sustainable development of agriculture in desert areas.

Nanocellulose-Based Biomaterial Ink Hydrogel for Uptake/Release of Bovine Serum Albumin

This study explores the potential of using nanocellulose extracted from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) as a biomaterial ink for 3D printing. The research focuses on using nanocellulose hydrogels for the controlled uptake and release of proteins, with the specific protein solution being Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). To provide a suitable material for the bioprinting process, the study examines the characteristics and properties of the printed hydrogels through various analyses, such as morphology, functional group, crystallinity, and compression test. Several parameters, such as initial concentration, temperature, and the presence of calcium chloride as an additional crosslinker, affect the protein uptake and release capabilities of the hydrogel. The study is important for biomedicine as it explores the behavior of protein uptake and release using nanocellulose and 3D printing and can serve as a preliminary study for using hydrogels in biological materials or living cells.