Production and characterization of poly(ε-Caprolactone) based cellulose filled composites

Poli(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is synthetic biodegradable polyester polymer with a hydrophobic nature although most synthetic thermoplastic polymers are nonbiodegradable. Nanocellulose (NC) have attracted attention as reinforcing fillers in nanocomposites because of their low cost, renewability, and the wide availability. In this study, NC was obtained from microcrystaline cellulose by using sulfuric acid hydrolysis. The hydrophilic nature of NC inhibits its homogeneous dispersion in nonpolar polymer matrices and limits the compatibility between the NC and polymer matrix. In order to improve the compatibility NC particles were modified with n-octadecyl isocyanate. The surface chemical modification was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) . PCL/ cellulose composite films were prepared by solution casting method. In order to understand the effect of cellulose content and modification on the performance of composites, the surface morphologies, moisture-barrier, mechanical and thermal properties of the composites were investigated. The addition of NC and modified NC results in the enhancement of mechanical and moisture-barrier properties. Keywords: Nanocellulose, N-octadecyl isocyanate, Polycaprolactone, Nanocomposites