Structural, Mechanical, and Barrier Properties of the Polyvinylidene Fluoride-Bacterial Nanocellulose-Based Hybrid Composite

Polymers (Basel). 2024 Apr 10;16(8):1033. doi: 10.3390/polym16081033.

Abstract

This study presents an analysis of films which consist of two layers; one layer is PVDF as the matrix, along with fillers BaTiO3 (BT), and the second is one bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) filled with Fe3O4. The mass fraction of BT in PVDF was 5%, and the samples were differentiated based on the duration of the mechanical activation of BT. This innovative PVDF laminate polymer with environmentally friendly fillers aligns with the concept of circular usage, resulting in a reduction in plastic content and potential improvement of the piezoelectric properties of the entire composite. This work presents new, multifunctional "green" packaging materials that potentially could be a good alternative to specific popular materials used for this purpose. The synthesis of the films was carried out using the hot press method. Tensile tests, water vapor permeability examination, and structural analyses using SEM-EDS and FTIR have been conducted. The sample PVDF/BT20/BNC/Fe3O4 exhibited the best barrier properties (impermeability to water vapor), while the highest tensile strength and toughness were exhibited by the PVDF/BT5/BNC/Fe3O4 sample.

Keywords: BNC; PVDF; laminate composite material; tensile test; water vapor permeability.

Grants and funding

This paper was financially supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, through agreements related to the realization and financing of scientific research work at the Institute of Technical Sciences of SASA, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy of the University of Belgrade, University of Belgrade Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade Faculty of Physics and University of Belgrade, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences – Nation Institute of the Republic of Serbia in 2024 (Contract numbers, 451-03-66/2024-03/200175, 451-03-65/2024-03/200135, 451-03-65/2024-03/200116, 451-03-66/2024-03/200162 and 451-03-66/2024-03/200017).