Dispersion of Cellulose Nanocrystals in Transparent Media (PPT)

摘要

Improved particle morphology via drying procedure: Freeze drying from t-butanol allows for better individualization of CNCs and 1000x surface area vs. freeze drying from water. CNCs dried from t-butanol showed better dispersion in epoxy, better optical properties and substantial improvements in strain-to-break. Improved particle interface via conversion to COOH: Highly transparent and toughened PMMA nanocomposite films were prepared by addition of small percentages of CNF-COOH. Mechanical analysis of the resulting films demonstrated that 1%-3% loadings of CNF-COOH led to brittle-to-ductile failure behavior, yielding tougher films that those of neat PMMA. Simulation results suggest both polymer-nanofibril interactions and the percolated nanofibril networks contribute to the improved toughness.