Crystallization and mechanical properties of reinforced PHBV composites using melt compounding: Effect of CNCs and CNFs

Du Jun; Zhao Guomin; Pan Mingzhu; Zhuang Leilei; Li Dagang; Zhang Rui

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.03.076

Crystallization and mechanical properties of reinforced PHBV composites using melt compounding: Effect of CNCs and CNFs

Carbohydr Polym. 2017 Jul 15:168:255-262. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.03.076. Epub 2017 Mar 24.

Authors

Du Jun¹, Zhao Guomin¹, Pan Mingzhu², Zhuang Leilei¹, Li Dagang¹, Zhang Rui³

Affiliations

¹ College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China.
² College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China. Electronic address: mzpan@njfu.edu.cn.
³ College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, 210037, China.

PMID: 28457448
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.03.076

Abstract

Nanocellulose reinforced poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) composites were prepared using melt compounding. The effects of nanocellulose types (CNCs and CNFs) and nanocellulose content (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7wt%) on the crystallization, thermal and mechanical properties of PHBV composites were systematically compared in this study. The thermal stability of PHBV composites was improved by both CNCs and CNFs. CNFs with a higher thermal stability leaded to a higher thermal stability of PHBV composites. Both CNCs and CNFs induced a reduction in the crystalline size of PHBV spherulites. Furthermore, CNCs could act as a better nucleating agent for PHBV than did CNFs. CNCs and CNFs showed reinforcing effects in PHBV composites. At the equivalent content of nanocellulose, CNCs led to a higher tensile modulus of PHBV composites than did CNFs. 1wt% CNCs/PHBV composites exhibited the most optimum mechanical properties.

Keywords: Cellulose nanocrystals; Cellulose nanofibrils; Crystallization; Extrusion; Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate).