Melt processing of polyamide 12 and cellulose nanocrystals nanocomposites

The fabrication of nanocomposites of polyamide 12 (PA12) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) isolated from cotton and tunicates is reported. Through a comparative study that involved solution-cast (SC) and melt-processed materials, it was shown that PA12/CNC nanocomposites can be prepared in a process that appears to be readily scalable to an industrial level. The results demonstrate that CNCs isolated from the biomass by phosphoric acid hydrolysis display both a sufficiently high thermal stability to permit melt processing with PA12, and a high compatibility with this polymer to allow the formation of nanocomposites in which the CNCs are well dispersed. Thus, PA12/CNC nanocomposites prepared by melt-mixing the two components in a co-rotating roller blade mixer and subsequent compression molding display mechanical properties that are comparable to those of SC reference materials. Young's modulus and maximum stress could be doubled in comparison to the neat PA12 by introduction of 10% (CNCs from tunicates) or 15% w/w (CNCs from cotton) CNCs. (c) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42752.