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Physical and mechanical properties of polyvinyl alcohol and polypropylene composite materials reinforced with fibril aggregates isolated from regenerated cellulose fibers

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Abstract

Natural fibers in micro and nano scales may be a potential alternative for man-made fibers because of the comparable mechanical properties to those of glass, carbon, and aramid fibers. Cellulose fibril and fibril aggregate are generally prepared by physical treatments, e.g., high-pressure homogenizer, or chemical treatments, e.g., acid hydrolysis. In this study, fibril aggregates were generated from a regenerated cellulose fiber by a novel mechanical treatment. The geometrical characteristics of the fibers and the fibril aggregates were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and polarized light microscopy (PLM), and its crystallinity was investigated by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). The degree of fibrillation of the fibers was indirectly evaluated by water retention value (WRV). Nano-biocomposites reinforced with fibril aggregates were prepared by film casting and compression molding and evaluated by tensile test. The morphological characteristics of the nanocomposites were investigated with SEM and PLM. As reference, commercial microfibrillated cellulose was also used to reinforce biodegradable polymer.

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Abbreviations

MFC:

Microfibrillated cellulose

PLM:

Polarized light microscopy

PP:

Polypropylene

PVA:

Poly vinyl alcohol

SEM:

Scanning electron microscopy

WAXD:

Wide angle X-ray diffraction

WRV:

Water retention value

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Joseph Spruiell of Department of Material Science and Engineering, UT, for his help of WAXD; Dr. John R. Dunlap of the Division of Biology, UT, for his valuable assistances in SEM experiments; Lenzing company for their supply of Lyocell fibers; FiberVisions, Georgia for their supply of PP fibers; and USDA Wood Utilization Research Program and Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station project # 96 for funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tennessee Forest Products Center, University of Tennessee, 2506 Jacob Dr., Knoxville, TN, 37996-4570, USA

    Qingzheng Cheng, Siqun Wang, Timothy G. Rials & Seung-Hwan Lee

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  1. Qingzheng Cheng
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  2. Siqun Wang
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  3. Timothy G. Rials
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  4. Seung-Hwan Lee
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Correspondence to Siqun Wang.

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Cheng, Q., Wang, S., Rials, T.G. et al. Physical and mechanical properties of polyvinyl alcohol and polypropylene composite materials reinforced with fibril aggregates isolated from regenerated cellulose fibers. Cellulose 14, 593–602 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-007-9141-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-007-9141-0

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