Physical properties and morphology of films prepared from microfibrillated cellulose and microfibrillated cellulose in combination with amylopectin

Abstract

Abstract Two types of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) were prepared using either a sulfite pulp containing a high amount of hemicellulose (MFC 1) or a carboxymethylated dissolving pulp (MFC 2). MFC gels were then combined with amylopectin solutions to produce solvent‐cast MFC‐reinforced amylopectin films. Tensile testing revealed that MFC 2‐reinforced films exhibited a more ductile behavior and that MFC 1‐reinforced films had higher modulus of elasticity (E‐modulus) at MFC loadings of 50 wt % or higher. Pure MFC films had relatively low oxygen permeability values when data were compared with those for a variety of other polymer films. MFC 1 and MFC 2 films had similar opacity but differences in appearance which were attributed to the presence of some larger fibers and nanofiber agglomerates in MFC 2. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to illustrate the morphology of MFC nanofibers in pure films and in an amylopectin matrix. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010