Interpenetrated polymer networks in composites with poly(vinyl alcohol), micro- and nano-fibrillated cellulose (M/NFC) and polyHEMA to develop packaging materials

A novel method for the preparation of composites based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and microand nano-fibrillated cellulose (M/NFC) is reported. The addition of crosslinking HEMA monomers and a photo-initiator enabled the formation of an interpenetrated polymer network that displayed enhanced interfacial adhesion and dispersion of (M/ NFC) in the matrix. Photo-crosslinked PVA/(M/ NFC)/polyHEMA composite films produced by casting followed by UV polymerization of HEMA were characterized by using several approaches. These included Fourier transform infrared and UV–Vis spectroscopies, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry, thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis. The thermo-mechanical and optical properties as well as water absorption and vapor barrier abilities of the developed photo-crosslinked PVA/(M/NFC)/polyHEMA films were measured and the benefit of photo-crosslinking determined. The major degradation peak of photocrosslinked PVA/(M/NFC)/polyHEMA composites increased substantially compared to that of the PVA/ (M/NFC) system (from *300 to *350 C). The water vapor permeability of PVA/(M/NFC)/polyHEMA composite films was reduced with HEMA loading (5.44 9 10, 5.10 9 10, 4.12 9 10, 4.31 9 10 g/m h Pa for 0, 5, 10 and 15 % HEMA, respectively). Overall, a new and facile method for the H. Bai (&) Y. Li W. Wang W. Dong X. Liu The Key Laboratory of Food Colloids and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu, China e-mail: [email protected] H. Bai State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China G. Chen Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology, and Engineering Research Center for Eco-Dyeing and Finishing of Textiles, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, Zhejiang, China O. J. Rojas Department of Forest Products Technology, School of Chemical Technology, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16300, 00076 Aalto, Finland O. J. Rojas Departments of Forest Biomaterials and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA 123 Cellulose (2015) 22:3877–3894 DOI 10.1007/s10570-015-0748-2