Rosin-Modified Microcrystalline Cellulose for Enhancing Polylactic Acid-Based Composites with Good Interfacial
Fuquan Zhao1, Xiaoyu Xie1, Yu Meng2
1Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab of Pulp and Paper Science and Technology, College of Light Industry and Food, National Engineering Research Center of Biomaterials, Jiangsu Engineering Research Center of Bamboo and Wood Carbon·Fixation Materials and Structures, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
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The interfacial incompatibility and insufficient mechanical performance of polylactic acid (PLA)/cellulose composites have severely restricted their practical applications. To address the critical issue of interfacial incompatibility in PLA/cellulose composites, this work developed a novel strategy employing rosin emulsion for blending modification of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), followed by a one-step extrusion process to fabricate PLA composites. The corresponding analyses confirmed that the rosin has been successfully added to MCC surfaces, forming the hydrophobic interface while maintaining the cellulose I crystalline structure. Subsequently, rosin emulsion-modified MCC (MCC-R) reinforced PLA (PLA/MCC-R) composites were fabricated via twin-screw extrusion at varying MCC-R contents. The testing results illustrated that the introduction of 8 wt% MCC-R can enhance the mechanical properties of PLA/MCC-R composites with the flexural strength (125.5 MPa), tensile strength (30.8 MPa), Young's modulus (1.19 GPa), and elongation at break (3.07%), which was attributed to enhanced filler dispersion and interfacial stress transfer. Overall, this work established a facile and sustainable strategy for developing multifunctional PLA composites with engineered interfaces and mechanical robustness, which is vital for practical application. The as-prepared PLA composites show promising application prospects in environmentally friendly packaging, biodegradable disposable products, and lightweight structural components.
