7 Processing of nanocellulose-based materials

Abstract

This chapter describes the different processing ways leading to materials involving cellulose nanocrystals of microfibrillated cellulose. It mainly consists of polymer nanocomposites, but other materials have also been reported in the literature. Cellulose nanoparticles have a strong tendency for self-association because of the omnipresence of interacting surface hydroxyl groups. This property, which is the basis of the strength of paper sheets, is a desirable feature for the formation of load-bearing percolating architectures within the host polymer matrix. However, these inter-particle interactions can cause aggregation during the preparation of the nanocomposite, thus inducing the loss of the nanoscale and limit the potential of mechanical reinforcement. This aggregation phenomenon is magnified when the size of the particle decreases.