Esterified lignin-based resin for cellulose-long-filament reinforced polymer composites

초록

The quest for bioderived resins and eco-friendly lightweight materials having remarkable mechanical performance is ubiquitous in scientific reports. This work reports a strong and tough biobased resin of esterified Polyvinyl alcohol-Citric acid-Lignin (E-PCL) suitable for nanocellulose fiber-reinforced polymer composites. The mechanical properties of the resin were optimized by varying the volumetric concentration of citric acid and subsequently esterified at 180°C. At 30% citric acid content, the esterified resin dramatically improved its tensile strength, toughness, elastic modulus and hydrophobicity. The adhesion strength of the resin to cellulose film was 31.92 MPa making it appropriate for green cellulose-based fiber-reinforced polymer composites. To validate our concept, three wet-spun cellulose long filament was knit into mats on a loom and applied in composite fabrication through hand-layup and hot press. The lightweight yet strong and stiff structural composite displayed a record high flexural strength of 363.42 MPa and flexural modulus of 39.89 GPa with a water contact angle of 93.4°. Insights from this report offer a promising platform for utilizing environment-friendly resins and nanocellulose to engineer lightweight and robust structural composites for automotive, aerospace, and structural applications. © 2022 SPIE

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