Preparation and application of dialdehyde nanocellulose reinforced jatropha oil based polymer emulsions as leather fatliquors

Abstract

Bio-based acrylated epoxidized jatropha oil (AEJO) was developed using a solvent-free synthetic method, and the structure of the resulting product was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectra. Subsequently, an amphiphilic polymer emulsion AEJO-AA was prepared by emulsion polymerization using acrylic acid (AA) and AEJO. Moreover, 2, 3-dialdehyde nanocellulose (DNC) was prepared and combined with AEJO-AA emulsion as a fatliquoring agent for goatskin upper leather. The fatliquored leather shows improved mechanical strength and thermal stability. When the DNC loading is 1.5 wt%, the fatliquored leather exhibits the highest tensile strength of 24.3 MPa, tear strength of 62.2 N/mm and thermal denaturation temperature (Td) of 95.4 °C. The fogging values of the fatliquored leather satisfy the requirements of automobile seat leather. The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand results indicate that the DNC/AEJO-AA emulsion is easily biodegradable. Overall, the developed DNC/AEJO-AA emulsion provides a new strategy in the production of bio-based and ecological polymer fatliquor of leather.