Abstract
The development of all-bio-based composites is one of the relevant aspects of pursuing a carbon-neutral economy. This study aims to explore the possibility to reinforce polylactic acid by the combination of cellulose and chitin nanofibers instead of a single reinforcement phase. Polylactic acid colloidal suspension, cellulose and chitin nanofiber suspensions were mixed using only water as mixing medium and subsequently dewatered to form paper-like sheets. Sheets were hot pressed to melt the polylactic acid and form nanocomposites. The combination of cellulose and chitin nanofiber composites delivered higher tensile properties than its counterparts reinforced with cellulose or chitin nanofibers alone. Cellulose and chitin appear to complement each other from the aspect of the formation of a rigid cellulose nanofiber percolated network, and chitin acting as a compatibilizer between hydrophobic polylactic acid and hydrophilic cellulose.
Highlights
Due to pressing ecological issues of modern civilization, the need to find new substitute materials that minimize environmental footprint is becoming ever more urgent
At the higher microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) content end of the chitin nanofiber (ChNF)-MFC composition spectrum, the percolation of cellulose nanofibers forms a stiff network interconnected by hydrogen bonds that confers much of the strength to the composites
This hypothesis is based on the results of a previous study [34] in which ChNF-PLA composites were stronger than MFC-PLA composites at lower nanofiber contents, while MFC-PLA composites were stronger at higher nanofiber loadings
Summary
Due to pressing ecological issues of modern civilization, the need to find new substitute materials that minimize environmental footprint is becoming ever more urgent. Polymers and derived composites mostly aim at long term durability to the detriment of easy disposability. They are generally made from fossil-based synthetic materials, but polymers are produced by plants and animals through biochemical reactions. These naturally synthesized polymers are known as biopolymers. Cellulose is mostly found in the cell wall of plant fibers, as the structural reinforcement that provides the mechanical rigidity to support the plants’ bodies This framework is comprised of tiny semi-crystalline fibrous elements known as cellulose nanofibers, possessing mechanical properties similar to those of aramid fibers. The Young’s modulus of the crystalline portions were measured to be 138 GPa [2], whereas the estimated tensile strength along the length of the nanofiber is in the range of 1.6 to 3 GPa [3]
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