Cellulose nanocomposites (»Add to Infobox)

Research Leader: Professor Lars Berglund Marielle Henriksson

Biocomposites, Lightweight Structures

The reinforcing constituent of the wood cell wall is the crystalline cellulose microfibril. The Young\\\'s modulus of cellulose microfibrils has been measured to be around 140 GPa, theoretical predictions are even higher. For this reason it is of interest to explore the possibilities for new materials based on cellulose microfibrils in polymer matrices. There are two major problems involved. The first is to extract the microfibrils from surrounding hemicellulose/lignin wood polymers in the cell wall without degrading the reinforcing potential. The other is to disperse the microfibrils in the polymer matrix. Since cellulose microfibrils have a high density of hydroxyl groups on the surface, agglomeration is a problem, particularly when combined with non-polar thermoplastic polymers. The scientific objective is to prepare cellulose nanocomposites and then elucidate their structure-property relationships. The ultimate vision is biological composites three to four times stronger than possible today. Results on polyurethane-cellulose composites show significant improvements in mechanical properties at very low reinforcement content. Period: 2004-01-01 - 2005-12-30 Keywords: Cellulose, Composites, Materials characterization

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