Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
10425115 | Composites Science and Technology | 2012 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
A novel, entirely bio-derived polylactide carbohydrate copolymer (RP1) is used as a compatibilizer, to produce bacterial cellulose (BC) poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) nanocomposites with improved mechanical properties. Contact angle measurements of RP1 droplets on single BC nanofibres proved that it has a higher affinity towards BC than PLLA. RP1 has a comparable Young's modulus, but lower tensile strength, than PLLA. When RP1 was blended with PLLA at a concentration of 5Â wt%, the tensile modulus and strength of the resulting polymer blend decreased from 4.08Â GPa and 63.1, respectively, for PLLA to 3.75Â GPa and 56.1Â MPa. A composite of BC and PLLA (with 5Â wt% RP1 and 5Â wt% BC) has a higher Young's modulus and tensile strength, compared to either pure PLLA or PLLA-BC nanocomposites.
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Engineering (General)
Authors
Koon-Yang Lee, Min Tang, Charlotte K. Williams, Alexander Bismarck,