Polylactic Acid Reinforced with Mixed Cellulose and Chitin Nanofibers—Effect of Mixture Ratio on the Mechanical Properties of Composites

Kinetic Study of the Thermal and Thermo-Oxidative Degradations of Polystyrene Reinforced with Multiple-Cages POSS

A comprehensive kinetics degradation study is carried out on novel multiple cages polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/polystyrene (PS) composites at 5% (w/w) of POSS to assess their thermal behavior with respect to the control PS and other similar POSS/PS systems studied in the past. The composites are synthesized by in situ polymerization of styrene in the presence of POSSs and characterized by 1H-NMR. The characteristics of thermal parameters are determined using kinetics literature methods, such as those developed by Kissinger and Flynn, Wall, and Ozawa (FWO), and discussed and compared with each other and with those obtained in the past for similar POSS/PS composites. A good improvement in the thermal stability with respect to neat polymer is found, but not with respect to those obtained in the past for polystyrene reinforced with single- or double-POSS cages. This behavior is attributed to the greater steric hindrance of the three-cages POSS compared with those of single- or double-cage POSS molecules.

Extraction and characterization of fungal chitin nanofibers from Mucor indicus cultured in optimized medium conditions

Chitin nanofibers (ChNFs) were extracted from Mucor indicus by a purification method followed by a mechanical treatment, cultivated under obtained optimum culture medium conditions to improve fungal chitin production rate. A semi synthetic media containing 50 g/l glucose was used for cultivation of the fungus in shake flasks. The cell wall analysis showed that N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) content, which is an indication of chitin content, was maximum in presence of 2.5 g/l H₃PO₄, 2.5 g/l of NaOH, 1 g/l of yeast extract, 1 mg/l of plant hormones, and 1 ml/l of trace metals. The chemical characterizations demonstrated that the isolated fibers had a degree of deacetylation lower than of 10%, and were phosphate free. The FTIR results revealed successful removal of different materials during the purification step. The FE-SEM of fibrillated chitin illustrated an average diameter of 28 nm. Finally, X-ray diffraction results showed that the crystallinity index of nanofibers was 82%.

Design, Preparation and Thermal Characterization of Polystyrene Composites Reinforced with Novel Three-Cages POSS Molecules

Novel polystyrene (PS)/polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxanes (POSSs) nanocomposites were designed and prepared by in situ polymerization, using, for the first time, three-cage POSS molecules. The synthesized compounds were first characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ¹H NMR spectroscopy to verify the obtaining of the designed products before their thermal performance was evaluated and compared with those of pristine PS and the corresponding single-cage POSSs nanocomposites. The thermal behaviour was checked by the means of the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was also used to confirm the hypothesis about the dispersion/aggregation of the POSS molecules into the polymer matrix. The parameters chosen to evaluate the thermal stability of the investigated compounds, namely temperature at 5% of mass loss (T_5%) and solid residue at 700 °C, showed a significant increase in the stability of the polymers reinforced with the three-cages POSS, in comparison to both PS and single-cage POSS reinforced PSs, which therefore turn out to be promising molecular fillers for nanocomposite production.

Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Self-Assembled Kaolin-Doped Starch-Based Environment-Friendly Nanocomposite Films

Environment-friendly advanced materials are promising candidates for the engineering of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Here, starch–kaolin self-assembled nanocomposite films were prepared using potato starch and an indigenous layered material, kaolin. The films consist of kaolin and the matrix, which were prepared by the disruption and plasticization of starch granules with water and glycerol. Self-assembled nanocomposite films with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% w/w of kaolin were fabricated by casting and evaporating the mixture from homogeneous aqueous suspension at 95 °C. The thickness of the film—about 200 μm—was controlled by a predesigned glass frame. The resulting films were conditioned before testing, and the effect of accelerated aging in a moist atmosphere was investigated. The films were characterized using attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy for the interaction of moieties via function groups, X-ray diffraction (XRD) for crystallinity change, universal testing machine (UTM) for tensile strength Young’s modulus and elongation at break investigation. The thermal stability of the films using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the effect of temperature on contraction behaviors using thermal mechanical analysis (TMA) were carried out. The distribution of kaolin into the matrix and morphology of the self-assembled nanocomposite films were observed from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. Developed nanocomposite materials from an indigenous source would play a vital role in the field of food packaging industries in Bangladesh.

Effect of Chitin Nanocrystals on Crystallization and Properties of Poly(lactic acid)-Based Nanocomposites

The crystalline phase of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has crucial effects on its own properties and nanocomposites. In this study, the isothermal crystallization of PLA, triethyl citrate-plasticized PLA (PLA-TEC), and its nanocomposite with chitin nanocrystals (PLA-TEC-ChNC) at different temperatures and times was investigated, and the resulting properties of the materials were characterized. Both PLA and PLA-TEC showed extremely low crystallinity at isothermal temperatures of 135, 130, 125 °C and times of 5 or 15 min. In contrast, the addition of 1 wt % of ChNCs significantly improved the crystallinity of PLA under the same conditions owing to the nucleation effect of the ChNCs. The samples were also crystallized at 110 °C to reach their maximal crystallinity, and PLA-TEC-ChNC achieved 48% crystallinity within 5 min, while PLA and PLA-TEC required 40 min to reach a similar level. Moreover, X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the addition of ChNCs resulted in smaller crystallite sizes, which further influenced the barrier properties and hydrolytic degradation of the PLA. The nanocomposites had considerably lower barrier properties and underwent faster degradation compared to PLA-TEC110. These results confirm that the addition of ChNCs in PLA leads to promising properties for packaging applications.

Synthesis and Applications of Biopolymer Composites

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for a clean and pollution-free environment and an evident target to minimizing fossil fuel [...].

Chitin Nanofibrils in Poly(Lactic Acid) (PLA) Nanocomposites: Dispersion and Thermo-Mechanical Properties

Chitin-nanofibrils are obtained in water suspension at low concentration, as nanoparticles normally are, to avoid their aggregation. The addition of the fibrils in molten PLA during extrusion is thus difficult and disadvantageous. In the present paper, the use of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is proposed to prepare a solid pre-composite by water evaporation. The pre-composite is then added to PLA in the extruder to obtain transparent nanocomposites. The amount of PEG and chitin nanofibrils was varied in the nanocomposites to compare the reinforcement due to nanofibrils and plasticization due to the presence of PEG, as well as for extrapolating, where possible, the properties of reinforcement due to chitin nanofibrils exclusively. Thermal and morphological properties of nanocomposites were also investigated. This study concluded that chitin nanofibrils, added as reinforcing filler up to 12% by weight, do not properties alter the properties of the PLA based material; hence, this additive can be used in bioplastic items mainly exploiting their intrinsic anti-microbial and skin regenerating properties.

Thermoplastic Processing of PLA/Cellulose Nanomaterials Composites

Over the past decades, research has escalated on the use of polylactic acid (PLA) as a replacement for petroleum-based polymers. This is due to its valuable properties, such as renewability, biodegradability, biocompatibility and good thermomechanical properties. Despite possessing good mechanical properties comparable to conventional petroleum-based polymers, PLA suffers from some shortcomings such as low thermal resistance, heat distortion temperature and rate of crystallization, thus different fillers have been used to overcome these limitations. In the framework of environmentally friendly processes and products, there has been growing interest on the use of cellulose nanomaterials viz. cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and nanofibers (CNF) as natural fillers for PLA towards advanced applications other than short-term packaging and biomedical. Cellulosic nanomaterials are renewable in nature, biodegradable, eco-friendly and they possess high strength and stiffness. In the case of eco-friendly processes, various conventional processing techniques, such as melt extrusion, melt-spinning, and compression molding, have been used to produce PLA composites. This review addresses the critical factors in the manufacturing of PLA-cellulosic nanomaterials by using conventional techniques and recent advances needed to promote and improve the dispersion of the cellulosic nanomaterials. Different aspects, including morphology, mechanical behavior and thermal properties, as well as comparisons of CNC- and CNF-reinforced PLA, are also discussed.

Manufacturing, Characterisation and Properties of Advanced Nanocomposites

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