Effect of Surface Energy on Dispersion and Mechanical Properties of Polymer/Nanocrystalline Cellulose Nanocomposites

Dispersion quality and polymer-filler interaction are important factors in determining the final properties of polymer nanocomposites. Surface energy of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and some polymers (polypropylene, PP, and polylactic acid, PLA) was measured at room and high temperatures. NCC had higher polarity and surface energy than PP and PLA at room temperature but had a lower surface energy at higher temperatures. The effect of surface modification with alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) on NCC surface energy at room and high temperature was studied. Total surface energy of NCC was lowered after surface modification. Thermodynamic work of adhesion for PP/NCC and PLA/NCC was lowered by NCC surface modification. A thermodynamic analysis is proposed to estimate the dispersion energy, based on surface energy measurements at room and high temperatures. Also, a dispersion factor is defined to provide a quantitative indication of the dispersibility of nanoparticles in a polymer matrix under various conditions. The required dispersion energy was reduced by lowering the interfacial tension. On the other hand, it increased as the quality of NCC dispersion (i.e., the nanoparticle surface area) in the system was improved. Surface modification of NCC with ASA had a negative effect on the compatibility between NCC and PLA, whereas it had a positive influence on compatibility between PP and NCC.