The aim of this research was to investigate for the first time the possible application range of sustainable cellulose-filled polymer-based materials dedicated for common use in healthcare sector. These products are exposed to contact with solutions of different acidity, microorganisms and are being constantly UV sterilized. Therefore, the impact of plant filler on the microbial growth, UV-aging and pH-resistance of cellulose-filled ethylene-norbornene copolymer (EN) was investigated, as the polymer matrix employed is widely used in healthcare applications. Moreover, two different coupling agents, vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) and N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AEAPTMS), were used to promote the adhesion between the polymer matrix and cellulose (hydrophobization of fibres evidenced with increased water contact angle from 15 to 130°). Additionally, UV-aging revealed that the silane-originated functional groups might have possibly acted as free radical scavengers, hence, prolonging composites' shelf-life. Furthermore, incorporation of investigated amount of cellulose did not result in the decreased pH-resistance or improved growth of Escherichia coli.
Keywords: Cellulose; Cellulose hydrophobization; Cellulose-filled polymer composites; Healthcare; UV-aging.
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