With the rapid exhaustion of fossil resources, and environmental pollution relative to the use of fossil-based products, developing eco-friendly products using biomass and/or biodegradable resources is becoming increasingly conspicuous. In this study, ecofriendly and biodegradable composite membranes containing varying MC/PLA (methylcellulose/polylactic acid) mass ratios were prepared. The properties and structures of the MC/PLA membranes were studied by mechanical testing, 13C NMR techniques, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and hot compression. The MC/PLA membranes displayed markedly improved tensile strength and elongation at the MC/PLA mass ratio range of 99:1 to 9:1. The tensile strength and elongation of the MC/PLA (97:3) membrane was found to be the optimum, at 30% and 35% higher than the neat MC, respectively. It was also found that hot compression could improve the tensile strength and elongation of the membranes. At the same time, the membranes showed enough good thermal stability. In addition, the effect of MC/PLA mass ratio on morphologies of the membranes were studied by microscopy technique.
Poly(methyl
methacrylate) (PMMA) is a thermoplastic polyester with
excellent properties such as lightweight, low price, biocompatibility,
and so on. However, its extensive utilization is restricted by the
deficiencies of brittleness and poor mechanical properties. In this
study, high-performance PMMA films enhanced by methylcellulose (MC)
were fabricated by a simple procedure at ambient temperatures. The
effects of PMMA/MC mass ratio and thermal compression treatment on
mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation) were systematically
investigated. The PMMA/MC films showed remarkably enhanced mechanical
properties compared with neat PMMA. The tensile strengths of the PMMA/MC
(3:97) and PMMA/MC (1:1) films are higher than that of the PMMA/MC
(9:1) film by about 471 and 83%, respectively. The mechanical properties
were also improved after thermal compression treatment. Importantly,
the PMMA/MC films could be recovered and reused. In addition, the
morphologies, crystalline state, and chemical structures of the films
were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction,
and
13
C NMR spectroscopy. The films are expected to be
used as sustainable and potential alternatives to petroleum-based
polymer film products because of their simple preparation procedure,
high-performance mechanical properties, excellent recycling, eco-friendly
features, and scale manufacture.
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