Aligned unidirectional PLA/bacterial cellulose nanocomposite fibre reinforced PDLLA composites
File(s)
Author(s)
Blaker, JJ
Lee, K-Y
Walters, M
Drouet, M
Bismarck, A
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
In an effort to enhance the properties of polylactide (PLA), we have developed melt-spinning techniques to produce both PLA/nanocellulose composite fibres, and a method akin to layered filament winding followed by compression moulding to produce self-reinforced PLA/nanocellulose composites. Poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) fibres were filled with 2 wt.% neat and modified bacterial cellulose (BC) in an effort to improve the tensile properties over neat PLA fibres. BC increased the viscosity of the polymer melt and reduced the draw-ratio of the fibres, resulting in increased fibre diameters. Nonetheless, strain induced chain orientation due to melt spinning led to PLLA fibres with enhanced tensile modulus (6 GPa) and strength (127 MPa), over monolithic PLLA, previously measured at 1.3 GPa and 61 MPa, respectively. The presence of BC also enhanced the nucleation and growth of crystals in PLA. We further produced PLA fibres with 7 wt.% cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which is higher than the percolation threshold (equivalent to 6 vol.%). These fibres were spun in multiple, alternating controlled layers onto spools, and subsequently compression moulded to produce unidirectional self-reinforced PLA composites consisting of 60 vol.% PLLA fibres reinforced with 7 wt.% CNC in a matrix of amorphous PDLLA, which itself contained 7 wt.% of CNC. We observed improvements in viscoelastic properties of up to 175% in terms of storage moduli in bending. Furthermore, strains to failure for PLLA fibre reinforced PDLLA were recorded at 17%.
Date Issued
2014-09-16
Date Acceptance
2014-09-06
Citation
Reactive & Functional Polymers, 2014, 85, pp.185-192
ISSN
1381-5148
Publisher
Elsevier
Start Page
185
End Page
192
Journal / Book Title
Reactive & Functional Polymers
Volume
85
Copyright Statement
© 2014, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Technology
Chemistry, Applied
Engineering, Chemical
Polymer Science
Chemistry
Engineering
PLA
Bacterial cellulose
Nanocomposite
Self-reinforced polymer
Melt-spinning
POLY(LACTIC ACID) FIBERS
BACTERIAL CELLULOSE
POLY(L-LACTIC ACID)
MELT-SPUN
POLYLACTIDE/CLAY NANOCOMPOSITES
AGITATED CULTURE
MORPHOLOGY
NANOWHISKERS
BEHAVIOR
2-STEP
Publication Status
Published