Journal
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
Volume 218, Issue -, Pages 103-111Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.04.059
Keywords
Nanocrystalline cellulose; Thermal insulation; Ultralight; Foam; Mechanical properties; Polyvinyl alcohol
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Environmentally friendly, sustainable, and high-performance thermal insulators are in high demand. Petroleum-based insulator foams usually have high thermal conductivity and pose health hazards. Here, we report ultralight composite foams that are highly strong, elastic, and super-insulating. The foams are composed of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) (74 wt%), polyvinyl alcohol (7.5 wt%), and a crosslinking agent (18.5 wt%). The fabrication process is simple and uses only water. The composite foams exhibit an elastic strain of (similar to)13% at a modulus of 250 K Pa and a stress of 73 K Pa M 50% strain (100 + and 18 times, respectively, higher than those of pure NCC foam); both exceed the values of reported nanocellulose-based foams with no reinforcement. The foams exhibit a thermal conductivity of 0.027 Wm(-1) K-1, which is superior to those of traditional insulating materials. The structural integrity is also preserved after burning. Our results show that NCC-based materials can be engineered towards high-performance insulation applications.
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