Physico-mechanical properties of a microwave-irradiated kenaf carbamate/graphene oxide membrane

Cellulose carbamate (CC) prepared using microwave irradiation was reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) to fabricate homogeneous and highly ordered CC-GO membranes using a simple solution-mixing method. The effect of GO content on the properties of the membranes was investigated. Atomic force microscope and transmission electron microscope images indicated that the self-synthesized GO nanosheets exhibited exfoliated layers within the CC. X-ray diffraction results confirmed the crystalline structure of cellulose I and cellulose II in the CC pulp and CC-GO membranes, respectively. Increasing the GO content from 0 to 4 wt% resulted in a slight decrement in the crystallinity index. The membrane containing 4 wt% GO possessed a tensile modulus and strength higher by approximately 525 and 93 %, respectively, compared to the neat CC. Thermogravimetric analysis proved that the GO promoted higher thermal stability and carbon yields. The 3D homogeneous porous structures of the CC-GO membranes were viewed under a field emission scanning electron microscope. These improvements in the membrane properties were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and are attributed to the strong and effective interactions between CC and GO.