Bamboo Fiber Based Cellulose Nanocrystals/Poly(Lactic Acid)/Poly(Butylene Succinate) Nanocomposites: Morphological, Mechanical and Thermal Properties.

Masrat Rasheed,Bisma Parveez,Mohammad Jawaid

doi:10.3390/polym13071076

Masrat Rasheed, Bisma Parveez + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13071076

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Abstract

The purpose of this work was to investigate the effect of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) from bamboo fiber on the properties of poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) composites fabricated by melt mixing at 175 °C and then hot pressing at 180 °C. PBS and CNC (0.5, 0.75, 1, 1.5 wt.%) were added to improvise the properties of PLA. The morphological, physiochemical and crystallinity properties of nanocomposites were analysed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD), respectively. The thermal and tensile properties were analysed by thermogravimetic analysis (TGA), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Universal testing machine (UTM). PLA-PBS blend shows homogeneous morphology while the composite shows rod-like CNC particles, which are embedded in the polymer matrix. The uniform distribution of CNC particles in the nanocomposites improves their thermal stability, tensile strength and tensile modulus up to 1 wt.%; however, their elongation at break decreases. Thus, CNC addition in PLA-PBS matrix improves structural and thermal properties of the composite. The composite, thus developed, using CNC (a natural fiber) and PLA-PBS (biodegradable polymers) could be of immense importance as they could allow complete degradation in soil, making it a potential alternative material to existing packaging materials in the market that could be environment friendly.

Highlights

The increasing usage of petroleum-based plastics in the present times is leading to increased accumulation of plastic waste in the environment as their natural degradation time is longer
The outcome of this research work was the achievement of the uniform dispersion of CNCs in the composites up to 1wt.% as revealed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), resulting in improvement in their chemical structure, morphologies, thermal and mechanical properties
thermogravimetic analysis (TGA)/DTG analysis, it was found that CNCs improvised the thermal stability of the composite films and restricted the crystallization of PLA-PBS blends as demonstrated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and the Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies

Summary

Introduction

The increasing usage of petroleum-based plastics in the present times is leading to increased accumulation of plastic waste in the environment as their natural degradation time is longer. PLA, a bioplastic material that originates from the renewable resources, is mostly preferred and extensively studied as environmental and sustainable material [1]. It has high strength, high modulus and good clarity. PLA is brittle, with low toughness, slow degradation, slow rate of crystallisation and elongation at break less than 10% that restrict its usage [2]. These properties can be enhanced by adding fillers or additives [3]. Its mechanical properties can be improvised by blending with

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