Nanocomposites and nanomaterials

Composite materials based on nanocellulose

Barbash V.А., Yashchenko О.V.

Department of Ecology and Technology of Plant Polymers, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institut, Prospect Peremogy, 37, Kyiv-03056, Ukraine. 
E-mail: v.barbash@kpi.ua

Cellulose is the most abundant, biodegradable, renewable “green” natural polymer on the earth. It is used in the form of wood, cotton or other fibers as building materials, furniture, paper, clothing and many other applications. During biosynthesis, van der Waals forces and intermolecular hydrogen bonding promote the parallel stacking of cellulose chains to form nanosized elementary fibres that further organize into larger fibrils [1]. In recent years, extensive studies have been carried out on the replacement of synthetic materials with natural substances, in particular the production of nanocelulose and composite materials on its basis. 
In our study, the cellulose was obtained from wheat straw, flax and kenaf by ecology safer organosolvent method - cooking in solution of peracetic acid. Obtained organosolvent cellulose had traces of mineral substances and lignin and used it for preparation of nanocellulose [2]. For obtain nanocellulose was carried out hydrolysis of never-dried organosolv cellulose by means of sulfuric acid with different concentration (from 43 to 64 %), temperature (from 30 to 60 °C) during 30 – 90 min and ultrasound treatment of hydrolyzed cellulose with 22 kGz for 30 to 60 min. The resulting nanocellulose had a high degree of crystallinity and transparency of received films, the tensile strength up to 70 MPa, and higher thermal stability compared to the organosolvent pulps. Properties of nanocellulose were determinate by SEM, FTIR, TEM, AFM and TGA methods. 
The nanocellulose have been incorporated into pulp matrices to produce reinforced composites of paper and board. It is established that the addition of nanocellulose into the composition of paper and cardboard increases their mechanical and barrier properties.

1.	Chen W., Yu H., Lee S., Wei T., Li J. Nanocellulose: a promising nanomaterial for advanced electrochemical energy storage // Chem Soc Rev.-2018.-47.-P. 2837-2872.
2.	Barbash V.А, Yashchenko O.V., Kedrovska A. Preparation and properties of nanocellulose from peracetic flax pulp // Journal of Scientific Research and Reports. -2017.-16(1). -P. 1-10.