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Solid state ball milling as a green strategy to improve the dispersion of cellulose nanowhiskers in starch-based thermoplastic matrices

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Abstract

This study reports the use of solid state ball milling (SSBM) for dispersing cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) in starch-based thermoplastics. Prior to conventional drying, interwhiskers agglomeration was minimized by coating the CNWs with pectin, a vegetable hydrocolloid polysaccharide. SSBM and melt-processing were employed to prepare the nanocomposites. A strong correlation between mechanical reinforcement and nanowhisker dispersion was proven by results of tensile tests, scanning electron microscopy and dynamical mechanical thermal analysis. The starch–pectin–CNW nanocomposites showed high dispersion of the nano-sized filler in the matrix, thus SSBM shows great potential when compared to sol–gel, casting/evaporation and other methods to disperse these promising nanoparticles.

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Abbreviations

CNW:

Cellulose nanowhisker

SSBM:

Solid state ball milling

TPS:

Thermoplastic starch

DMTA:

Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis

STEM:

Scanning transmission electron microscopy

FESEM:

Field emission scanning electron microscopy

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Embrapa, FINEP/MCT, CNPq, CAPES and FAPESP for the financial support. The authors are also gratefully acknowledged to Mr. Renê de Oste from CNPDIA for his helpful assistance with the ball milling apparatus. This research is a part of the Rede de Nanotecnologia Aplicada ao Agronegócio (Rede Agronano), Brazil.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia para o Agronegócio (LNNA), Embrapa Instrumentação (CNPDIA), São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Francys Kley Vieira Moreira, José Manoel Marconcini & Luiz Henrique Capparelli Mattoso

  2. Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência e Engenharia de Materiais (PPG-CEM), Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil

    Francys Kley Vieira Moreira

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  1. Francys Kley Vieira Moreira
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  2. José Manoel Marconcini
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  3. Luiz Henrique Capparelli Mattoso
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Correspondence to Francys Kley Vieira Moreira.

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Moreira, F.K.V., Marconcini, J.M. & Mattoso, L.H.C. Solid state ball milling as a green strategy to improve the dispersion of cellulose nanowhiskers in starch-based thermoplastic matrices. Cellulose 19, 2049–2056 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-012-9768-3

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