Nanocellulose preparation via a dissolution and regeneration process and application to wood-plastic composites as toughness enhancement

In this work, nanocellulose (NC) was prepared by a new route consisting of dissolution of cellulose in phosphoric acid followed by regeneration in water. To facilitate the dissolution, the cellulose was pre-treated with aqueous solution of urea. Although the regenerated cellulose from water had been in nanoscale, its size could be further reduced through ball milling. The composition, structure, and morphology of the materials from different preparation stages were studied by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. NC was then incorporated into the HDPE based wood-plastic composites (WPCs) in a skillful way to guarantee its good dispersion. The influence of addition content of NC on the mechanical and thermal properties of WPCs was investigated comprehensively. WPCs incorporated with NC exhibited an obvious increase in impact strength compared with those without NC. In addition, the Rockwell hardness, Vicat softening temperature and thermal stability of WPCs incorporated with NC were also correspondingly improved. The effect of ball milling on the size of nanocellulose was also investigated. The application results showed that the NC prepared without ball milling was more efficient in enhancing the toughness of WPCs.