Publications ::
All Cellulose Nano-composites
Gindl W; Keckes J :: Polymer :: 14 November 2005
The mechanical performance of cellulose-based nanocomposites can be tuned by varying the ratio of cellulose I to cellulose II and their properties surpass those of comparable cellulosic materials. Films with different ratios of cellulose I and II were produced by partially dissolving microcrystalline cellulose powder in lithium chloride/N,N-dimethylacetamide.
The mechanical and structural properties were analysed using tensile tests and x ray diffraction. The films were isotropic, transparent, highly crystalline and contained different amounts of undissolved cellulose I crystallites in a matrix of regenerated cellulose. The results showed that by varying the cellulose I and II ratios the mechanical performance of the nanocomposites could be tuned. Depending on the composition, a tensile strength up to 240 MPa, an elastic modulus of 13.1 GPa, and a failure strain of 8.6% were observed. The main advantage of the nanocomposites is that they are fully biobased and biodegradable, but are relatively strong.
Polymer Vol. 46, no. 23, 14 Nov. 2005, pp 10221-10225
