Recent Advances in Nanocomposites Based on Biodegradable Polymers and Nanocellulose

JUAN I. MORÁN; L. N. LUDUEÑA; V. A. ALVAREZ

Nanocellulose Polymer Nanocomposites

Wiley Blackwell

Año: 2014; p. 237 - 254

Because of waste accumulation at the end of the life cycle of traditional polymer products, the development of environmentally-friendly, degradable, polymeric materials has attracted extensive interest. Nevertheless, the properties of such kinds of polymers are lower than that of traditional ones. Thermoplastic polymers have been widely used as matrix of composites reinforced with natural fibers in order to achieve a final material with improved mechanical properties with respect to the pure polymer. In order to obtain competitive products, the performance of biodegradable polymers can be greatly enhanced by the incorporation of nanometer-size fillers. Due to the good mechanical properties, nanocellulose has generated a great deal of interest as a source of nanometer-sized reinforcement. In the last years these fibers also attracted much attention due to environmental concerns, especially as the reinforcement of biodegradable polymers to produce fully biodegradable nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties. This chapter reviews the different ways to obtain nanocellulose from several sources (microcrystalline cellulose, natural fibers and agro-wastes), the characteristics of obtained products and the recent advances in biodegradable polymers/cellulose nanocomposites for packaging applications.