Investigation of surface‐pegylated nanocellulose as reinforcing agent on PBAT biodegradable nanocomposites

Abstract

In the present work, nanocellulose (NC) has been surface-pegylated and further employed as reinforcement in poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) through the melting process. The nanocomposites showed a significant stiffness increase, especially the 2% pegylated-NC, due to the good interaction between the modified NC and the matrix. Also the pegylation improved the filler-PBAT adhesion, which resulted in higher thermal stability and low crystallinity. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the strong interaction between the 2% pegylated-NC, morphological analysis confirmed the filler adhesion. The water absorption indicated that the pegylated-NC has a low tendency to absorb water, which improves its applicability, for example, as a packaging material. This unique study is of great value for the future design of pegylated-NC biodegradable nanocomposites with tailored properties.

Biodegradable compatibilizer modified corn stover/poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) composites

“…In Table 4, the CS/PBAT/PEG composite exhibits the highest activation energy, implying that it possesses the best thermostability. This result is consistent with that reported by Souza er al., 50 who found that PEG shows a positive influence on the thermostability of cellulose/ PBAT composite.…”

“…It means that PEG can promote the thermostability of CS/PBAT composite in a certain degree, which may be owing to the hydrogen bonds formed inside the composite that could restrict the movement of molecular chains, just as PEG did for the CG/PBAT composites. 27,49,50 The low T 1% value of CS/PBAT/GMA composite could be attributed to the slow volatilization of the remained unreacted GMA during the heating process.…”

Effect of large sized reed fillers on properties and degradability of PBAT composites

“…It causes serious soil and marine pollution to threaten human health. [ 7–9 ] Biodegradable plastics, such as PLA, [ 10–14 ] PCL, [ 15–17 ] PBS, [ 18–20 ] and PBAT, [ 21,22 ] have been widely used in medical, agriculture, and packaging industries to replace non‐degradable materials to alleviate current environmental problems because they can be degraded to harmless substances such as H 2 O and CO 2 with the participation of microorganisms. [ 23–25 ]…”

“…such as PLA, [10][11][12][13][14] PCL, [15][16][17] PBS, [18][19][20] and PBAT, [21,22] have been widely used in medical, agriculture, and packaging industries to replace non-degradable materials to alleviate current environmental problems because they can be degraded to harmless substances such as H 2 O and CO 2 with the participation of microorganisms. [23][24][25] Among the biodegradable plastics, PBAT has attracted significant attention due to its good ductility, impact properties, and low processing temperature.…”

Interaction between thermoplastic starch and cellulose in poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) composites with cellulosic fillers

“…In this context, polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been widely investigated as a compatibilizer in PBAT/cellulose based composites. Souza et al 25 reinforced PBAT with pegylated nanocellulose (pegylated-NC) by melt-mixing process. The nanocomposites presented improved mechanical properties attributed to good interaction and improved adhesion between pegylated-NC and the polymer matrix.…”