(69b) Cellulose nanofibrils-based materials as a substrate for disinfectant wipes

Disinfectant wipes are a common way to minimize the spread of the virus. They are widely available and their sales have recently surged dramatically. These commercial wipes however have three, often overlooked, issues: 1) they have a relatively limited capacity to absorb alcohol-water mixture upon saturation 2) they dry out very quickly and 3) they end up in landfills. This study investigated a novel biodegradable/disposable substrate for disinfectant wipes composed of cellulose nanofibrils. The novel substrate exhibited high absorption capacity of alcohol-water mixtures. In addition, the substrate significantly reduced the evaporation rate of 70%-isopropyl alcohol compared to Lysol® wipes (60% of alcohol-water mixture evaporated from the Lysol wipes vs only 15% from our material in the same period of time). Furthermore, a disintegration test showed that these substrates are flushable according to the standardized flushability evaluation procedure. The substrates are prepared from renewable and water-soluble materials which reduces the negative environmental impact of the petroleum-based polymer fibers used in commercial products by reducing the waste that ends up in landfills.