Issue 62, 2018, Issue in Progress

Quantitative analysis of the distribution and mixing of cellulose nanocrystals in thermoplastic composites using Raman chemical imaging

Abstract

Cellulose nanofibers hold much promise for enhancing the mechanical properties of composites owing to their uniquely high stiffness and strength. One major issue limiting this performance however is the dispersion and mixing of cellulose nanofibers within thermoplastic resins. A combination of Raman imaging and chemical analysis has been used to quantify the distribution and mixing of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in a polyethylene-matrix composite. Large area spectral imaging provides information about the effect of a compatibilizer – namely poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and maleated polyethylene (MAPE) – on the distribution of CNCs in the thermoplastic matrix. High-resolution images enable quantification of the degree of mixing between the CNCs and HDPE. Lower resolution images, but with greater spatial spread, allow quantification of the distribution of the CNCs. It is shown that the CNCs tend to agglomerate, with little increase in distribution even with the use of the compatibilizer. A shift in the position of characteristic Raman bands indicates the formation of hydrogen bonding between the PEO compatibilizer and the CNCs, which in turn is thought to affect the distribution of aggregates of the reinforcing phase.

Graphical abstract: Quantitative analysis of the distribution and mixing of cellulose nanocrystals in thermoplastic composites using Raman chemical imaging

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 Aug 2018
Accepted
14 Oct 2018
First published
19 Oct 2018
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Adv., 2018,8, 35831-35839

Quantitative analysis of the distribution and mixing of cellulose nanocrystals in thermoplastic composites using Raman chemical imaging

A. E. Lewandowska, N. H. Inai, O. R. Ghita and S. J. Eichhorn, RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 35831 DOI: 10.1039/C8RA06674D

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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