Morphological Characterization of Wax and Surfactant–Encapsulated Microcrystalline Cellulose for Better Dispersion

Encapsulation of cellulose with wax and surfactant is a physical way to restrict cellulose-to-cellulose attraction. Because wax is often used in the wood composite process, industrial manufacturers would not have to upgrade or add expensive equipment to handle cellulose addition. The encapsulated cellulose particles could easily be transported to composite and polymer facilities and blended in a homogeneous fashion for a multitude of products and composites. It was the objective of this study to utilize differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy to characterize the wax and surfactant coverage and encapsulation morphology of the wax–surfactant–cellulose composite. The lengths and widths of the cellulose particles were significantly changed after encapsulation. DIC microscopy found that we could fine-tune wax coverage to control homogeneity and reduce fiber bundling during dispersion. It was found that surfactants were not necessary to enhance coverage if a 1:4 ratio of wax to microcrystalline cellulose was used. However, if more wax is desired, then surfactants may be necessary to suppress fiber bundles during dispersion.