Crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) composite films with cellulose nanocrystals: Mechanical and thermal properties

In this work, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were crosslinked using sodium tetraborate decahydrate (borax) to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of the neat PVA. The results showed that the CNCs affected the crystallization behavior of the crosslinked PVA. The crystallization temperature of the crosslinked PVA with CNCs increased considerably from approximate to 152 to approximate to 187 degrees C. The continuous improvement of the thermal stability was observed with the increasing content of CNCs in the crosslinked PVA films. Additionally, the strong interaction between the CNCs and PVA was theoretically estimated from the Young's modulus values of the composites. Thermodynamic mechanical testing revealed that the crosslinked PVA composite films with CNCs could bear higher loads at high temperature compared to the films without the CNCs. At 60 degrees C, 2.7 GPa was reported for the storage modulus of the crosslinked composites with 3 wt % of CNCs, twice as high as that for the crosslinked films without CNCs. Moreover, creep results were improved when CNCs were added in the crosslinked nanocomposites. The materials prepared in this work could broaden the opportunities for applications in a wide range of temperatures. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45710.