L-C Yeh, H. Chen, T-C Huang, H-J Sue
Texas A&M University,
United States
Keywords: cellulose nanofiber, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, structure-property relationship
Summary:
Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) have garnered significant attention due to their renewability, biodegradability, and superior reinforcement effect when incorporated into polymer matrices. The present study investigates how the CNF diameter and length influence the tensile properties of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP). By employing a simple film casting approach, three different types of CNF with distinctively different diameters and lengths were used as reinforcement to enhance tensile properties of PVP. The findings reveal that low-oxidation CNF (LCNF) is most effective against the other two CNF types, which include high-oxidation CNF (HCNT) and mechanically broken down CNF (MCNF). The incorporation of LCNF above its critical concentration for CNF network formation can most significantly enhance the tensile strength and modulus of PVP. At the same concentration level, HCNF can improve modulus, but fail to improve tensile strength due to its short CNF length. MCNF can form network in PVP due to its long length, but does not enhance modulus much due to its large diameters and lack of adhesion to PVP matrice. The implication of the work for preparation of CNF-reinforced polymer nanocomposites is discussed.