Reinforcing Linear Low-Density Polyethylene with Surfactant-Treated Microfibrillated Cellulose

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Cellulose is a promising nanocomposite material due to its mechanical properties.
• Cellulose agglomeration during processing hinders its application.
• Developing effective methods to prevent cellulose aggregation is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To treat microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) with non-ionic surfactants (Span80 and Tween80) to prevent aggregation.
• To create and characterize surfactant-treated MFC/LLDPE nanocomposite films.
• To evaluate the impact of treated MFC on the properties of LLDPE composites.

Main Methods:

• Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) was treated with a 1:1 mixture of Span80 and Tween80.
• Surfactant-treated MFC (STMFC) was melt-compounded with powdered LLDPE using a conical twin-screw extruder.
• The mixture was hot-pressed into films, followed by microscopic observation, light transmittance, mechanical testing, DSC, and XRD analysis.

Main Results:

• Microscopic observations and light transmittance confirmed no cellulose agglomeration in the composite films.
• Uniform dispersion of STMFC was achieved up to 10 wt%.
• Optimal mechanical properties were observed at 10 wt% STMFC, with significant increases in tensile strength (+41.03%) and Young's modulus (+106.35%) compared to pure LLDPE.

Conclusions:

• Surfactant treatment effectively prevents MFC agglomeration during drying and processing.
• The developed STMFC/LLDPE nanocomposite films exhibit enhanced mechanical performance.
• The addition of STMFC increased the melting point of LLDPE and did not alter crystallinity, though crystallite size increased.