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Updated: Aug 17, 2025
Towards Biomimicking Wood: Fabricated Free-standing Films of Nanocellulose, Lignin, and a Synthetic Polycation
Published on: June 17, 2014
Utilization of different wood-based microfibril cellulose for the preparation of reinforced hydrophobic polymer
Chaoqun Xu1, Ning Xu1, Juan Yu1
1Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
Abstract:
Pickering emulsion is a promising strategy for the preparation of hydrophobic polymer composite using hydrophilic nanocellulose. Herein, two types of microfibril cellulose, pure mechanical pretreated microfibril cellulose (P-MFC) and Deep eutectic solvents pretreated microfibril cellulose (DES-MFC), were used to fabricate reinforced hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) composites (MFC/PS) with the aid of Pickering emulsion. The results showed that both oil/water ratio and the content as well as surface hydrophilicity of MFC were playing an important role in emulsifying capacity. 8 % MFC/PS emulsion showed the smallest and most uniform emulsion droplets which is similar to nanofibril cellulose (NFC)/PS at the oil/water ratio of 3:1. The mechanical performance of MFC/PS composites verified that the reinforcement effect was closely related to the emulsifying capacity of MFC. Specially, when the content of P-MFC was 8 wt%, the composite exhibited the best mechanical properties with the tensile strength of 44.7 ± 4.4 MPa and toughness of 1162 ± 52.8 kJ/m3 and Young's modulus of 13.5 ± 0.8 GPa, which was comparable to NFC/PS composite. Moreover, the effective enhancement role of P-MFC in hydrophobic polymethyl methacrylate and polycarbonate composites were also realized via Pickering emulsion strategy. Overall, this work constituted a proof of concept of the potential application of P-MFC in nano-reinforced hydrophobic composite.
