Performance Evaluation of Cellulose Nanofiber with Residual Hemicellulose as a Nanofiller in Polypropylene-Based Nanocomposite

Abstract

Residual hemicellulose could enhance cellulose nanofiber (CNF) processing as it impedes the agglomeration of the nanocellulose fibrils and contributes to complete nanofibrillation within a shorter period of time. Its effect on CNF performance as a reinforcement material is unclear, and hence this study seeks to evaluate the performance of CNF in the presence of amorphous hemicellulose as a reinforcement material in a polypropylene (PP) nanocomposite. Two types of CNF were prepared: SHS-CNF, which contained about 11% hemicellulose, and KOH-CNF, with complete hemicellulose removal. Mechanical properties of the PP/SHS-CNF and PP/KOH-CNF showed an almost similar increment in tensile strength (31% and 32%) and flexural strength (28% and 29%) when 3 wt.% of CNF was incorporated in PP, indicating that hemicellulose in SHS-CNF did not affect the mechanical properties of the PP nanocomposite. The crystallinity of both PP/SHS-CNF and PP/KOH-CNF nanocomposites showed an almost similar value at 55–56%. A slight decrement in thermal stability was seen, whereby the decomposition temperature at 10% weight loss (Td10%) of PP/SHS-CNF was 6 °C lower at 381 °C compared to 387 °C for PP/KOH-CNF, which can be explained by the degradation of thermally unstable hemicellulose. The results from this study showed that the presence of some portion of hemicellulose in CNF did not affect the CNF properties, suggesting that complete hemicellulose removal may not be necessary for the preparation of CNF to be used as a reinforcement material in nanocomposites. This will lead to less harsh pretreatment for CNF preparation and, hence, a more sustainable nanocomposite can be produced.

Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polycaprolactone Green and Hybrid Biocomposites for Various Advanced Applications

“…Green biocomposites integrate the beneficial properties of the individual constituents. Due to the production of materials with good properties and materials which are easily produced and processed, the market for these biocomposites appears to be promising and attainable for growth in the near future [ 45 , 112 , 113 ]. Biopolymers reinforced with natural fibers greatly improved the mechanical and thermal properties of green biocomposites [ 114 , 115 , 116 ].…”

A Review on Mechanical Performance of Hybrid Natural Fiber Polymer Composites for Structural Applications

“…Natural fibers are non-synthetic, non-manmade fibers that may be derived from plants or animals. Natural fibers have long gained attention as reinforcing agents for polymer composites owing to their sustainability, ready availability, and satisfactory mechanical strength [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Natural fibers are generally classified into several categories based on their source, as shown in Figure 1 .…”

Greener Pretreatment Approaches for the Valorisation of Natural Fibre Biomass into Bioproducts

“…Superheated steam has been managed to alter the chemical composition of natural fibres. It has been proven that superheated steam pretreatment managed to remove high amount of hemicellulose from the lignocellulose fibres [34][35][36][37][38][39][40]. According to Warid et al [40], superheated steam pretreatment on oil palm biomass at higher temperature and shorter time managed to remove a high amount of hemicellulose while maintaining the cellulose composition as compared to the method reported by Norrrahim et al [39].…”