Abstract
The goal of this work has been to prepare cellulose nanocomposites of polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose nano whiskers (CNW) and microfibers (MF). Nanocomposites were prepared by pumping an aqueous dispersion of MF and CNW into the PLA during extrusion. The prepared materials were studied using different microscopy methods (TEM, AFM, SEM), X-ray, dynamic mechanic thermal analysis (DMTA) and conventional mechanical testing. The MF was shown to form a network of fibrils while CNW existed as needle shaped crystallites after the isolation process. DMTA and tensile tests indicated no significant improvement in mechanical properties of the composites. This may be attributed to poor dispersion of microfibres and nanowhiskers in PLA.
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