The effect of Nano-fibrillated cellulose on the mechanical properties of polymer films, 2010 TAPPI International Conference on Nanotechnology for the Forest Product Industry

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Nano-fibrillated cellulose (NFC) was produced mechanically from a bleached soft wood kraft fiber using a pre-treatment method followed by refining or homogenization. Field emission scanning electron microscope images of the material reveals a large number of fine scale fibers with diameters between 20-50 nm and lengths of over a micron. Polymer films were produced by mixing NFC with a styrene-butadiene latex or polyvinyl alcohol. Films were cast onto Teflon coated aluminum foil and dried under heat lamps. A mechanical tester characterized the elastic modulus of the films, the ultimate tensile strengths, and the rupture strains.