Aligned biodegradable cellulose-reinforced nanocomposites with high strength and toughness

• Cellulose, as the most abundant component in wood, has attracted a lot of attention for utilizing it in environmentally-friendly applications to replace the fossil-based materials. Nanocellulose materials with high stiffness and strength, large surface area and biodegradability, are promising reinforcement in polymers. However, the energy consumption of nano-scale isolation of cellulose and the dispersion of nanocellulose materials in the polymers are still challenging for obtaining low-cost and ultra-strong nanocomposites. To overcome these, we focus on investigating the aligned nanocomposites reinforced by a very low cellulose nanofibers (CNF) content (0.1 wt%), and grafting polyethylene glycol (PEG) on CNF was performed to improve the dispersion of them. We found that the alignment can improve mechanical properties of the polylactic acid (PLA)/CNF composites dramatically. With a draw ratio of 8, the strength of the aligned composite reached 320 MPa and the toughness was 30 times enhanced compared to the isotropic material. Much better dispersion of the CNF grafted with PEG in PLA matrix was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) compared to the ungrafted CNF, and further supported by the mechanical testing results. Furthermore, the aligned nanocomposites exhibited light scattering behavior indicating they have the potential to be used in optical applications.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinsk bioteknologi -- Biomaterialvetenskap (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Medical Biotechnology -- Biomaterials Science (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Industriell bioteknik -- Biomaterial (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Industrial Biotechnology -- Bio Materials (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Trä och bionanokompositer

Wood and Bionanocomposites

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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