Preparation of all-cellulose composite by selective dissolving of cellulose surface in PEG/NaOH aqueous solution

Here, PEG/NaOH aqueous solution, a recently reported solvent system for cellulose was utilized to prepare an all-cellulose composite. The composite was produced from commercial filter paper by converting a selective dissolved fiber surface into a matrix. The morphology, crystalline structure, mechanical and optical properties of this composite was investigated by the wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), universal tensile tester, and optical microscope. The results revealed that the all-cellulose composites had a high mechanical performance and an optical transparency. The effect of processing conditions on the interfacial bonding and therefore the mechanical performance of the final composites has also been investigated. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.