All-Cellulose Composite

TLDR

An all‑cellulose composite was fabricated by selectively dissolving matrix cellulose while preserving fibers, and its structure, mechanical, and thermal properties were characterized by X‑ray diffraction, SEM, tensile testing, and viscoelastic/thermomechanical analyses. The composite achieved a tensile strength of 480 MPa at 25 °C and a storage modulus of 20 GPa at 300 °C, surpassing conventional glass‑fiber composites, with a linear thermal expansion coefficient of ~10⁻⁷ K⁻¹ and offering sustainable, biodegradable, high‑performance properties.

Abstract

An all-cellulose composite, in which both the fibers and the matrix are cellulose, was prepared by distinguishing the solubility of the matrix cellulose into the solvent from that of the fibers through pretreatment. The structure, mechanical, and thermal properties of this composite were investigated using an X-ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscope, a tensile test, and dynamic viscoelastic and thermomechanical analyses. The tensile strength of uniaxially reinforced all-cellulose composite was 480 MPa at 25 °C, and the dynamic storage modulus was as high as 20 GPa at 300 °C. These were comparable or even higher than those of conventional glass-fiber-reinforced composites. In addition, a linear thermal expansion coefficient was about 10-7 K-1. This all-cellulose composite shows substantial advantages, that is, it is composed of sustainable resources, there is less interface between the fiber and the matrix, it possesses excellent mechanical and thermal performance during use, and it is biodegradable after the service.