Crystallization Kinetics of Modified Nanocellulose/Monomer Casting Nylon Composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Nanocellulose (CNF) is a promising material for composite fabrication.
• Chemical modification of nanocellulose can tailor its properties for specific applications.
• MC nylon is a widely used engineering thermoplastic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of chemically functionalized nanocellulose on the crystallization behavior of MC nylon composites.
• To evaluate polyisocyanate-modified nanocellulose (CNF-JQ) as a nucleating agent for MC nylon.
• To compare the performance of CNF-JQ with unmodified CNF and caprolactone-modified nanocellulose (CNF-CL).

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of MC nylon composites using anionic ring-opening polymerization.
• Characterization of crystal structure, morphology, and crystallization process using WAXD, POM, and DSC.
• Analysis of isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics using the Avrami, Jeziorny, and Mo models.
• Determination of activation energy using the kissing method.

Main Results:

• CNF-JQ significantly enhanced the nucleation effects in MC nylon composites, with optimal performance at higher CNF-JQ content.
• CNF-JQ demonstrated superior promotion of non-isothermal crystallization rate compared to CNF and CNF-CL.
• CNF-CL decreased the activation energy of MC nylon, while CNF and CNF-JQ increased it.

Conclusions:

• Polyisocyanate-modified nanocellulose (CNF-JQ) serves as an effective nucleating agent for MC nylon.
• CNF-JQ improves both isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of MC nylon composites.
• The chemical modification of nanocellulose is crucial for optimizing its performance in polymer composites.