Summary: Bio‐based nanocomposites were manufactured by melt intercalation of nanoclays and cellulose acetate (CA) with and without plasticizer. Glycerol triacetate (triacetin) as plasticizer up to 30 mass%, and different types of organo‐modified and unmodified montmorillonites (MMTs) as filler were used. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), were used to study clay dispersion, intercalation/exfoliation, and structure of the composites. XRD and TEM revealed very good dispersion and exfoliation of modified clay throughout the CA matrix. While for unmodified clay agglomeration and poor dispersion but an intercalated structure was observed. The mechanical properties of injection moulded test bars were determined by a tensile experiment giving tensile strength, Young's modulus and elongation at break. Adding plasticizer facilitated the processing and up to 20 mass%, increased the tensile strength, Young's modulus and elongation at break as well. Higher amount of plasticizer diminished the tensile properties except elongation showing a slight increase. In all plasticized composites, organo‐modified clay improved the tensile strength and at the same time, young's modulus and elongation almost remained constant. On the other hand, plasticized CA compounded with unmodified clay revealed lower properties. In a particular case, compounding of unplasticized CA with unmodified clay resulted in superior mechanical properties with a novel structure. So that, in optimum percentage –5 mass%‐ of unmodified clay, tensile strength and young's modulus increased significantly by 335% and 100%, to 178 MPa and 8.4 GPa, respectively. This is a dramatic improvement in strength and stiffness of CA. Adding organo‐modified clay resulted in a little improvement in tensile properties. SEM pictures of the optimum composite showed a core/shell structure with high orientation in the shell part. It is supposed that this behaviour is caused by the interaction between CA hydroxyl groups and free cations existing in the galleries of unmodified clay.

The concept of using a starch mixed ester to avoid brittleness in starch esters is promising. This paper will present new economical synthesis methods as well as the resulting mechanical properties of different starch mixed esters after thermoplastic processing. The use of imidazole derivatives as precursors to imidazolium salts, also known as ionic liquids, is shown to catalyze the esterification of starch. This simple synthesis pathway allows varying the mechanical properties in starch mixed esters using the substitution pattern. Not only the mechanical properties are unique in comparison of established starch-based materials, but also the water uptake in the resulting material is lower. It can be assumed that the properties of standard plastics are closely matched by these starch mixed esters. 13C NMR spectroscopy, dynamic vapor sorption measurement and tensile tests are applied to examine the noted issues