MORPHOLOGY AND BARRIER PROPERTIES OF SOLVENT CAST NANOCOMPOSITES OF POLYLACTIC ACID WITH CELLULOSE NANOWHISKERS DERIVED FROM ALPHA PURIFIED MICROFIBERS
Sanchez-Garcia and  Lagaron (IATA and  CSIC, Spain).
(Society of Plastics Engineering Annual Technical Conference, 5/1/2010)
60 to 160 nm long, 10 to 20 nm diameter cellulose nanowhiskers (CNW) was prepared from alpha purified 50 to 100 μm long 10 to 20 diameter cellulose fibers by acid hydrolysis and used with 1 to 5 wt% loading to reinforce polylactic acid (PLA) matrix by solution casting. The cellulose nanowhiskers improved water barrier and oxygen barrier properties due to the impermeability of the cellulose crystals.  Purified cellulose nanowhiskers can be potentially used to enhance the barrier properties of thermoplastic biopolyesters in packaging, coatings and membrane applications. (RDC 5/9/2011) (Barrier Materials)