Grafting of poly(ε‐caprolactone) from Abaca cellulose fibers via ring‐opening polymerization resulting in facile one‐pot biocomposites

Abstract

As efforts to replace nonsustainable plastics increase, biocomposites from cellulose fibers and biodegradable polymers like poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) are promising candidates. The necessary adhesion between fibers and matrix can be achieved by grafting polymeric chains onto the fibers. Herein, we report grafting of PCL onto Abaca fibers (AFs), a one‐pot method to obtain a composite containing grafted fiber and free PCL, and the characterization of prepared composite films. Three parameters for pretreatment (disintegration, drying, and solvent exchange) of AF were compared. Short and long PCL chains with molecular weights below and close to the chain entanglement weight of PCL were grafted from AFs. Using benzyl alcohol as an additional initiator, free PCL was simultaneously prepared. The unreacted monomer was removed by precipitation in water, resulting in ready‐made one‐pot composites. The biocomposites containing the free PCL and PCL‐grafted AFs were further processed by a combination of compounding and hot‐pressing. The analyzed mechanical (tensile) and rheological properties show a large dependence on the lengths of the PCL grafts. The herein‐reported composites pave the way for interesting bio‐based alternatives to plastic, especially looking at the tailoring of material properties.

Improving water desalination: Sustainable grafted cellulose acetate reverse osmosis membrane from Egyptian cotton

“…This increased viscosity plays a crucial role in limiting solvent‐non‐solvent exchange, thereby slowing down the membrane precipitation process. The membrane's surface grafted with AMPSA becomes smoother and exhibits anti‐fouling properties as a result, aiming to reduce the non‐specific adsorption of diverse proteins 47 . The figure depicts how the concentration of AMPSA, polymeric contacts, and solution viscosity combine to cause the observed differences in the shape of the membrane.…”

Effects of L‐ and D‐ form oligo(lactic acid)s grafted cellulose reinforcement on the thermal properties of poly(L‐lactic acid) composites

“…About 50–100 wt% (compared to α‐cellulose) of OLLA, catalyst para‐toluene sulphonic acid (0.05 wt% α‐Cellulose), co‐catalyst K 2 S 2 O 8 (0.03–0.5 wt% to α‐cellulose), and 100 mL C 6 H 5 CH 3 were added in the flask. The flask was wrapped with (C 2 F 4 ) n polymer and the reaction stayed for 3–18 h at 130°C under 380 mmHg pressures 27–30 . After completion of the polycondensation reaction, the flask was left overnight at room temperature.…”

“…The flask was wrapped with (C 2 F 4 ) n polymer and the reaction stayed for 3-18 h at 130 C under 380 mmHg pressures. [27][28][29][30] After completion of the polycondensation reaction, the flask was left overnight at room temperature. To remove non-grafted OLLA, the OLLA-g-cellulose was soaked in chloroform and stirred for 24 h. Then, the soluble OLLA was filtered off, and the copolymers were washed 10 times with CHCl 3 and 3 times with C 3 H 6 O.…”