CELL 62 |
| Cellulose microfibrils can be used as reinforcing components in thermoplastic polymer nanocomposites. However, a major challenge in manufacturing such nanocomposites stands in dispersing the cellulose fibrils into the matrix, thus limiting the performance of the resulting composite. In this perspective, this research embarks on developing novel ways to disperse cellulose nanofibrils into polymer matrices. The objective is to produce nanocomposites having cellulose nanofibrils of controlled morphology and dimensions and that are also well dispersed into the thermoplastic matrix. With that objective, the biosynthesis of bacterial cellulose is manipulated. The resulting bacterial cellulose nanocomposites are characterized for morphology and performance both in the wet and dried conditions using AFM, TEM, DMA and FT-IR. |
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Poster Session
4:00 PM-6:00 PM, Sunday, 10 September 2006 Moscone Center -- Hall D, Poster
Sci-Mix
Division of Cellulose & Renewable Materials |