Novel processing of polyhydroxybutyrate with micro- to nanofibrillated cellulose and effect of fiber morphology on crystallization behaviour of composites

In this work, the intrinsic drawbacks of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) such as slow crystallization rate, secondary crystallization and brittle nature were improved by blending with bio-based fillers, i.e. nanofibrillated/microfibrillated cellulose (NFC/MFC). A novel chlorinated-solvent-free based syste...

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Main Authors: V. K. Rastogi, P. Samyn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Budapest University of Technology and Economics 2020-02-01
Series:eXPRESS Polymer Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.expresspolymlett.com/letolt.php?file=EPL-0010166&mi=cd
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author V. K. Rastogi
P. Samyn
author_facet V. K. Rastogi
P. Samyn
author_sort V. K. Rastogi
collection DOAJ
description In this work, the intrinsic drawbacks of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) such as slow crystallization rate, secondary crystallization and brittle nature were improved by blending with bio-based fillers, i.e. nanofibrillated/microfibrillated cellulose (NFC/MFC). A novel chlorinated-solvent-free based system was developed to blend PHB and NFC/MFC that resulted in homogenous dispersion of fibers in the PHB matrix, without the need for surface modification of fibers. The developed nano/micro-composite materials were fabricated as masterbatch pellets and films. Additionally, the effect of different NFC/MFC fiber morphologies influencing the crystallization behaviour of PHB was investigated in detail by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Both non-isothermal and isothermal crystallization studies (modelled with Avrami’s kinetics) were performed on nanocomposites and variations in crystallization kinetics of PHB after addition of NFC/MFC were determined. Addition of NFC/MFC resulted in the drastic increase in the crystallization rate of PHB and hence they acted as nucleating agents. The fine and homogeneous morphology of NFC produced smaller PHB spherulites and restricted the growth of secondary crystals, hence resulted in more flexible films than PHB or PHB-MFC films, as determined by the mechanical testing of films. The more heterogeneous morphology of MFC altered the PHB crystallization mechanism most, as seen from the distorted shape of PHB spherulites along with the higher Avrami exponent, i.e. n ≥ 3.
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publisher Budapest University of Technology and Economics
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series eXPRESS Polymer Letters
spelling doaj-art-918b10e33c7a4d5babc68a816e35b3c32025-08-02T13:55:59ZengBudapest University of Technology and EconomicseXPRESS Polymer Letters1788-618X2020-02-0114211513310.3144/expresspolymlett.2020.11Novel processing of polyhydroxybutyrate with micro- to nanofibrillated cellulose and effect of fiber morphology on crystallization behaviour of compositesV. K. RastogiP. SamynIn this work, the intrinsic drawbacks of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) such as slow crystallization rate, secondary crystallization and brittle nature were improved by blending with bio-based fillers, i.e. nanofibrillated/microfibrillated cellulose (NFC/MFC). A novel chlorinated-solvent-free based system was developed to blend PHB and NFC/MFC that resulted in homogenous dispersion of fibers in the PHB matrix, without the need for surface modification of fibers. The developed nano/micro-composite materials were fabricated as masterbatch pellets and films. Additionally, the effect of different NFC/MFC fiber morphologies influencing the crystallization behaviour of PHB was investigated in detail by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Both non-isothermal and isothermal crystallization studies (modelled with Avrami’s kinetics) were performed on nanocomposites and variations in crystallization kinetics of PHB after addition of NFC/MFC were determined. Addition of NFC/MFC resulted in the drastic increase in the crystallization rate of PHB and hence they acted as nucleating agents. The fine and homogeneous morphology of NFC produced smaller PHB spherulites and restricted the growth of secondary crystals, hence resulted in more flexible films than PHB or PHB-MFC films, as determined by the mechanical testing of films. The more heterogeneous morphology of MFC altered the PHB crystallization mechanism most, as seen from the distorted shape of PHB spherulites along with the higher Avrami exponent, i.e. n ≥ 3.http://www.expresspolymlett.com/letolt.php?file=EPL-0010166&mi=cdnanocompositesprocessing technologiesmicro/nano-fibrillated cellulosepolyhydroxybutyratecrystallization kinetics
spellingShingle V. K. Rastogi
P. Samyn
Novel processing of polyhydroxybutyrate with micro- to nanofibrillated cellulose and effect of fiber morphology on crystallization behaviour of composites
eXPRESS Polymer Letters
nanocomposites
processing technologies
micro/nano-fibrillated cellulose
polyhydroxybutyrate
crystallization kinetics
title Novel processing of polyhydroxybutyrate with micro- to nanofibrillated cellulose and effect of fiber morphology on crystallization behaviour of composites
title_full Novel processing of polyhydroxybutyrate with micro- to nanofibrillated cellulose and effect of fiber morphology on crystallization behaviour of composites
title_fullStr Novel processing of polyhydroxybutyrate with micro- to nanofibrillated cellulose and effect of fiber morphology on crystallization behaviour of composites
title_full_unstemmed Novel processing of polyhydroxybutyrate with micro- to nanofibrillated cellulose and effect of fiber morphology on crystallization behaviour of composites
title_short Novel processing of polyhydroxybutyrate with micro- to nanofibrillated cellulose and effect of fiber morphology on crystallization behaviour of composites
title_sort novel processing of polyhydroxybutyrate with micro to nanofibrillated cellulose and effect of fiber morphology on crystallization behaviour of composites
topic nanocomposites
processing technologies
micro/nano-fibrillated cellulose
polyhydroxybutyrate
crystallization kinetics
url http://www.expresspolymlett.com/letolt.php?file=EPL-0010166&mi=cd
work_keys_str_mv AT vkrastogi novelprocessingofpolyhydroxybutyratewithmicrotonanofibrillatedcelluloseandeffectoffibermorphologyoncrystallizationbehaviourofcomposites
AT psamyn novelprocessingofpolyhydroxybutyratewithmicrotonanofibrillatedcelluloseandeffectoffibermorphologyoncrystallizationbehaviourofcomposites