Using Cellulose Nanocrystals as a Sustainable Additive\nto Enhance Hydrophilicity, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Poly(vinylidene\nfluoride)/Poly(methyl methacrylate) Blend

Abstract

The aim of this study is to use cellulose\nnanocrystals (CNCs) as a sustainable\nadditive for improving\nhydrophilicity, mechanical and thermal properties of poly­(vinylidene\nfluoride) (PVDF)/poly­(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blends. A casting-evaporation\nmethod was used to prepare the nanocomposites, and their surface wettability,\nmechanical, thermal and morphological properties were characterized.\nWith the addition of only 3 wt% CNCs, tensile strength, tensile modulus,\ndynamic storage modulus at 45 °C, and onset thermal decomposition\ntemperature of the ternary composite exhibited 32%, 70%, 36% and\n4.0 °C increase, respectively, while the static water angle decreased\nby 6°. As the CNC content increased to 6 wt %, further improvement\nwas observed in all above properties except tensile strength. The\nobserved performance enhancement is attributed to a considerably increased\ncrystallinity of PVDF (e.g., from 28.5% for the binary blend to 43.3%\nfor ternary composite at the 3 wt % CNC level). Our present work demonstrates\nthe importance of using sustainable CNCs to achieve synergetic improvement\nin physical and mechanical performance of PVDF/PMMA blend, suggesting\na facile way to prepare nanocomposites for potential membrane-based\nseparation applications.