Rendering Polyurethane Hydrophilic for Efficient Cellulose Reinforcement in Melt‐Spun Nanocomposite Fibers

Many commodity plastics, such as thermoplastic polyurethanes (PUs), require reinforcement for use commercial products. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) offer a “green” and scalable approach to polymer they are exceptionally stiff, recyclable, abundant. Unfortunately, achieving efficient CNC of PUs with industrial melt processing techniques is difficult, mostly due the incompatibility hydrophobic PU hydrophilic CNCs, limiting their dispersion. Here, synthesized achieve strong in melt-processed nanocomposite fibers using filter paper-sourced CNCs. The melt-spun fibers, exhibiting smooth surfaces even at high loading (up 25 wt%) indicating good dispersion, bench-marked against solvent-cast films—solvent not but disperses CNCs well produces reinforcement. Mechanical analysis shows addition stiffens both films fibers. stress strain break, however, significantly affected films, whereas adding increases stress-at-break while reducing strain-at-break. Compared earlier studies employing (and stiffer) PU, substantially fiber stiffness strength. This work therefore suggests that rendering thermoplastics more might pave way “greener” composite products