Bio-based materials from the electrospinning of lignocellulosic sisal fibers and recycled PET

• Room temperature electrospinning of lignocellulosic sisal fibers and recycled PET.
• Mats of ultrathin and nanoscale fibers were prepared (S/PET ratios from 0.1 to 0.4).
• Contact angle: hydrophilicity/mats could be tuned by controlling the S/PET ratio.
• DMA: addition of sisal led to stiffer mats and higher Tg values relative to PETneat.
• Lignocellulosic fiber components/PET chains: interactions at a molecular level.

Mats of ultrathin and nanoscale fibers were prepared via room temperature electrospinning of lignocellulosic sisal fibers (S) and recycled PET trifluoroacetic acid solutions. The properties of the resulting mats (S/PET ratios from 0.1 to 0.4) were examined by infrared spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurements (CA), thermogravimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). SEM images confirmed that the electrospinning led to ultrathin and nanofibers. The CA results revealed that the hydrophilicity of the mats could be tuned by controlling the S/PET ratio. The DMA results showed that the addition of sisal led to stiffer mats and higher Tg values relative to a PETneat mat, indicating interactions between the components of the lignocellulosic fibers and the PET chains at a molecular level. The present study may contribute to the development of cellulosic nanocomposites via a one-pot process, which may be an alternative to processes that require cellulose nanofibers or nanocrystals to be prepared before hand as well as optimal conditions for subsequent dispersion in mats based on thermoplastic polymers.

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