Surface Modification of Cellulose Nanomaterial for Use in Hydrophobic Matrix Materials
Cellulose nanofibrils represent a natural, sustainable source of nanofibers that can be used as reinforcing additives in polymers. Unfortunately, the hydrophilic surface properties of the cellulose nanofibrils make it difficult for them to be incorporated into hydrophobic polymer matrices of common manufacturing plastics to form fiber reinforced composites. In this SBIR Phase II project, TDA has developed technology that can be used to modify the surfaces of cellulose nanofibrils so that they become compatible with today’s bulk industrial polymers. Cellulose nanofibril materials that can be routinely and efficiently incorporated into manufacturing polymers could result in a new family of natural fiber-based composites for manufacturing applications that use a renewable, sustainable source of raw materials. TDA’s cellulose fiber composites can be used in applications that currently use glass or carbon fiber composites, such as automotive components or clean energy components. TDA’s composites use a green, sustainable fiber source, use less energy to produce, are recyclable, and are competitive with current fiber reinforced composites. TDA developed a variety of surface modified cellulose nanofibrils for a variety of polymers used in the automotive manufacturing industry. Polymer composites using these new cellulose materials were fabricated, tested, and optimized for increased mechanical properties. Finally, the production of surface modified cellulose nanofibrils was scaled-up to a production quantity of 1 kilogram per batch. As the most important outcome, TDA has developed and demonstrated a way of modifying the CNF particles’ surface to make them compatible with a variety of high commodity thermoplastics: HDPE, nylons, and polyesters. Whereas the chemically bonded surface groups, work well for the purpose, we have also demonstrated that a non-covalent interactions (such as hydrogen bonding, Van der Waals forces, etc.) between CNF and other plastic additives can also successfully compatibilize the surface of a cellulosic fiber for increased dispersion in plastic matrices. The latter approach enables to significantly reduce the cost of a chemical modification of CNF particles; thus, making them cost compatible with other traditional fillers at low CNF loads. Furthermore, TDA demonstrated the effectiveness of CNF additives at low CNF loads between to improve the critical mechanical performance parameters, such as yield stress, tensile modulus, and elongation at break. The significant improvement in elongation at break indicated the high flexibility of the CNF-reinforced plastics that made it fully suitable for automotive flexible tubing manufacture. Moreover, TDA demonstrated the higher or comparable resistance of the CNF-reinforced plastics to humidity, heat, and oil exposures. The accelerated aging studies of the CNF-reinforced plastics were pivotal for the future market acceptance of the cellulose-containing materials.
- Research Organization:
- TDA Research, Inc.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0017849
- OSTI ID:
- 1837549
- Type / Phase:
- SBIR (Phase II)
- Report Number(s):
- TDA-R-2101-013-PhII-F; TDA-R-2101-013-PhII-F
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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