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2026 Vol.58, Issue 3 Preview Page

Original Paper

Development of a Cellulose Nanofibril Production Process from Sea Squirt Tunics

멍게 피낭 유래 셀룰로오스 나노섬유 제조기술 개발

Min Seo Kim1
,
Ji Hyun Tak1
,
Ji Young Lee2†
김 민서1
,
탁 지현1
,
이 지영2†
1Department of Forest Products, Gyeongsang National University
2Department of Environmental Materials Science/IALS, Gyeongsang National University
1경상국립대학교 임산공학과, 대학원생
2경상국립대학교 환경재료과학과/농업생명과학연구원, 교수
†Corresponding Author: E-mail: paperyjy@gnu.ac.kr (Address: Department of Environmental Materials Science/IALS, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52828, Republic of Korea)
30 June 2026. pp. 73-81
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Abstract

This study aimed to develop a production process for cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) derived from sea squirt tunics and to evaluate the feasibility of their surface modification for functional applications. Sea squirt tunics, which contain highly crystalline animal cellulose known as tunicin, were utilized as a sustainable marine biomass resource for CNF production. To enhance nanofibrillation efficiency, enzymatic pretreatment with cellulase was performed at varying enzyme dosages, and the effects on fiber morphology and physicochemical properties were systematically investigated. The results revealed that increasing the cellulase dosage progressively loosened the entangled fiber network of the tunic fibers and reduced the fine content. Among the tested conditions, a cellulase dosage of 5.0% was identified as the most effective for promoting nanofibrillation and was subsequently selected for high-pressure homogenization at 30,000 psi for 50 passes. The resulting enzymatically treated CNF (EN-CNF) exhibited nanoscale fiber dimensions, with an average fiber width of 18.21 nm. To further enhance the functionality and industrial applicability of the produced CNFs, quaternization and carboxymethylation reactions were performed to prepare cationic quaternized CNF (Q-CNF) and anionic carboxymethylated CNF (CM-CNF), respectively. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) analysis confirmed successful nanofibrillation in all samples, with average fiber widths of 17.36 nm for Q-CNF and 15.61 nm for CM-CNF. Zeta potential measurements further confirmed the successful introduction of surface functional groups, as Q-CNF exhibited a strong positive surface charge (+41.1 mV). In contrast, CM-CNF displayed a negative surface charge (-22.0 mV). Although the carboxymethylation efficiency of tunicate-derived cellulose was lower than that typically reported for plant-derived cellulose, likely due to its high crystallinity and the presence of residual protein components, the results demonstrated the feasibility of producing surface-modified CNFs from sea squirt tunics. These findings highlight the strong potential of sea squirt tunics as a sustainable marine biomass resource for the production of high-value nanocellulose materials, while simultaneously promoting the recycling and valorization of marine waste.

Keywords
Sea squirt tunic
cellulose nanofibril
tunicin
enzymatic pretreatment
quaternization
carboxymethylation
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Information
  • Publisher :Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국펄프종이공학회
  • Journal Title :Journal of Korea TAPPI
  • Journal Title(Ko) :펄프종이기술
  • Volume : 58
  • No :3
  • Pages :73-81
  • Received Date : 2026-05-10
  • Revised Date : 2026-06-01
  • Accepted Date : 2026-06-04
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7584/JKTAPPI.2026.6.58.3.73
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