Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Cellulose Fibril Reinforced Nanocomposites

Abstract

The Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) and the hardness of fibril reinforced hydroxypropyl cellulose films were determined by nanoindentation. In addition, the fibril alignment in the composites was analysed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The results show that the formation of fibril networks is of great importance for the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites.