Wang, X.; Mo, W.; Zeng, Y.; Wang, J. Preparation and Mechanical Properties of PBAT/Silanized Cellulose Composites. Processes2024, 12, 722.
Wang, X.; Mo, W.; Zeng, Y.; Wang, J. Preparation and Mechanical Properties of PBAT/Silanized Cellulose Composites. Processes 2024, 12, 722.
Wang, X.; Mo, W.; Zeng, Y.; Wang, J. Preparation and Mechanical Properties of PBAT/Silanized Cellulose Composites. Processes2024, 12, 722.
Wang, X.; Mo, W.; Zeng, Y.; Wang, J. Preparation and Mechanical Properties of PBAT/Silanized Cellulose Composites. Processes 2024, 12, 722.
Abstract
To obtain a cost-effective and high-performance composite material of polybutylene adipate-terephthalate (PBAT), for this study we selected microcrystalline cellulose, which is inexpensive and easily available, as the reinforcing medium. Hexadecyl trimethoxysilane (HDTMS) containing a long carbon chain was chosen to silanize the microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) to obtain silanized cellulose (SG). Three types of SGs with different degrees of silanization were obtained by controlling the reaction ratio. Characterization of these three types of SGs was conducted using FTIR, TEM, and water absorption analysis. Subsequently, PBAT/SG composites were prepared through a sol-gel method, and the effects of these three types of SGs on the thermal stability, compatibility, mechanical properties, and dynamic thermomechanical properties of PBAT were evaluated. Furthermore, the mechanism behind enhancing the mechanical properties of the composite was analyzed. The results demonstrated successful synthesis of SG. As the reaction ratio between HDTMS and MCC increased, the nanoparticle size increased, while the water absorption decreased significantly. After SG was added to the PBAT composites, the yield stress increased while maintaining good thermal stability. Both the SEM and DMA results indicated good compatibility of the PBAT/SG composites. Analysis of the mechanical properties revealed that the tensile strength initially increased and then decreased with increasing blending ratio for all three composites tested; among them, the PBAT/SG2 composites exhibit superior performance, with a maximum tensile strength reaching 22 MPa at an 85/15 blending ratio—nearly 30% higher than that of pure PBAT alone. The addition of SG significantly improved the strength of the PBAT, and we speculated as to the underlying mechanism involved. This study provides a new idea for the industrial-scale development of degradable polyesters with low cost and good mechanical properties.
Keywords
silanized cellulose; sol-gel; compatibility; PBAT
Subject
Chemistry and Materials Science, Polymers and Plastics
Copyright:
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