Application of Cellulose Microfibrils in Polymer Nanocomposites

Cellulose microfibrils obtained by the acid hydrolysis of cellulose fibers were added at low concentrations (2-10% w/w) to polymer gels and films as reinforcing agents. Significant changes in mechanical properties, especially maximum load and tensile strength, were obtained for fibrils derived from...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of polymers and the environment 2005-10, Vol.13 (4), p.301-306
Main Authors: Orts, William J, Shey, Justin, Imam, Syed H, Glenn, Gregory M, Guttman, Mara E, Revol, Jean-Francois
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Cellulose
Cellulose fibers
Cotton
Extrusion
Latex
Mechanical properties
Polymers
Shear
Softwoods
Starch
Starches
Tensile strength
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Summary:Cellulose microfibrils obtained by the acid hydrolysis of cellulose fibers were added at low concentrations (2-10% w/w) to polymer gels and films as reinforcing agents. Significant changes in mechanical properties, especially maximum load and tensile strength, were obtained for fibrils derived from several cellulosic sources, including cotton, softwood, and bacterial cellulose. For extruded starch plastics, the addition of cotton-derived microfibrils at 10.3% (w/w) concentration increased Young's modulus by 5-fold relative to a control sample with no cellulose reinforcement. Preliminary data suggests that shear alignment significantly improves tensile strength. Addition of microfibrils does not always change mechanical properties in a predictable direction. Whereas tensile strength and modulus were shown to increase during addition of microfibrils to an extruded starch thermoplastic and a cast latex film, these parameters decreased when microfibrils were added to a starch-pectin blend, implying that complex interactions are involved in the application of these reinforcing agents.
ISSN:1566-2543
1572-8900
1572-8919
DOI:10.1007/s10924-005-5514-3