Open Access

ARTICLE

A New Method for Developing Industrially Viable Nanocrystalline Cellulose-based Nanocomposites via Melt Compounding

by

Novel Materials and Nanotechnology Group, IATA, CSIC, Avda. Agustín Escardino, 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain

* Corresponding Author:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2014, 2(2), 107-117. https://doi.org/10.7569/JRM.2014.634106

Received 13 February 2014; Accepted 29 March 2014;

Abstract

Due to their high crystallinity and aspect ratio, bacterial cellulose nanowhiskers (BCNW) represent an appealing choice for the development of fully biobased nanocomposite materials with high barrier performance. However, their strong tendency to self-associate, together with their highly hydrophilic character, has restricted the production of nanocomposites containing cellulose nanowhiskers by industrial processing techniques such as melt compounding. Th is article presents an overview of the latest published results carried out within our group and also in other relevant literature, which have led to the development of an effi cient strategy for the incorporation of highly dispersed BCNW by melt compounding through the use of electrohydrodynamic processing as a vehicle for the pre-incorporation of relatively high loadings of BCNW. First, a method for the production of highly crystalline and thermally stable BCNW was developed. Th ese BCNW were incorporated into electrospun fi bers, optimizing the process in terms of nanofi ller dispersion and degree of incorporation. Finally, these hybrid fi bers were used as masterbatches for the production of melt compounded nanocomposites, comparing their morphology and barrier properties with the conventional method of adding freeze-dried nanowhiskers. Th is method was proven to be eff ective for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic matrices and, thus, it provides a feasible route for the development of high barrier biobased materials.

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