The properties of composite materials are strongly influenced by both the physical and chemical properties of their individual constituents, as well as the interactions between them. For nanocomposites, the incorporation of nano-sized dopants inside a host material matrix can lead to significant improvements in mechanical strength, toughness, and thermal or electrical conductivity. In this work, we investigate the effect of cellulose nano-fibrils (CNFs) on the structure and mechanical properties of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) /CNF composite films. Cellulose is one of the most abundant organic polymers with relatively high mechanical properties and readily functionalized surfaces. Under our current processing conditions, CNFs, as-received and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical (TEMPO) oxidized, alter the crystallinity and mechanical properties. These alternations do not effect the γ phase PVDF/CNF composites, which is the optimal phase for polar-PVDF studies. Composite films obtained from hydrated cellulose nanofibrils remain in a majority γ phase but also exhibit a small, but detectable fraction of α and β PVDF phases.

Synthesis and characterization of biological nanomaterial/polyvinylidene fluoride composites

2019 Spring National Meeting

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