Plasticized starch and cellulose whiskers composites

Nanocomposites materials were prepared using a starch/glycerol based matrix and a colloidal suspension of cellulose whiskers as a natural and biodegradable reinforcing phase. The cellulose whiskers used in this study, prepared from tunicin, an animal cellulose, consist of slender parallelepiped rods with lengths ranging from 100 nm to several pm and widths on the order of 10-20 nm. The raw materials were mixed in an autoclave reactor and afterwards they were cast and evaporated under vacuum. The resulting films were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, water absorption experiments and mechanical analysis in the linear range. High performance composites were obtained from these systems, preserving the natural and biodegradable character of starch. A high reinforcing effect and a thermal stabilization due to the whiskers addition were observed. Favorable interactions between the matrix and the reinforcing phase are also reported. In addition, the composites show a decrease in water sensibility as the cellulose whiskers content increases