Synthesis, characterization and electrospinning of new thermoplastic carboxymethyl cellulose (TCMC)

Abstract

This study focused on new degradable thermoplastic carboxymethyl cellulose (TCMC) which was synthesized by graft copolymerization. The obtained graft copolymers (TCMC) were characterized by FTIR, thermal analysis, rheometry, gel permeation chromatography–static light scattering (GPC–SLS) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). FTIR spectroscopy analysis provided evidence of grafting and the mechanism for the grafting reaction has been suggested. Thermal stability of TCMC was higher than its precursor sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC). The decomposition temperatures of TCMC was around 290°C, higher than that of NaCMC, and the glass transition temperature was in the range between 16.53 and 19.41°C. As observed from the tanδ curves in dynamic mechanical analysis, all of TCMCs exhibited a single glass transition at near that from PMA (polymethyl acrylate), indicating the success in grafting of MA (methyl acrylate) and the Tg was mainly from MA units. The processing flow of TCMC copolymer can be adjusted by regulating the temperature and the maximum molecular weight (about 6.8×105). Meanwhile electrospinning conditions of fibers were explored and the optimal condition was 15kV, 1mL/h, 18cm with 3% (wt/v) TCMC tetrahydrofuran solution.