Effects of Nanocellulose Extracted from Pineapple Leaf Fiber Incorporation on the Physico-chemical and Thermal Properties of Reinforced Epoxy Nanocomposites
Jessalyn Grumo (a,b*), Lady Jaharah Bulayog (a,b), Arnold Lubguban (c), Rey Capangpangan (d), Akihiro Yabuki (e) and Arnold Alguno (a,b)

a) Materials Science Laboratory, Department of Physics, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Andres Bonifacio Ave., 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
b) Premier Research Institute for Science and Mathematics (PRISM), Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Andres Bonifacio Ave., 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
*jessalyn.grumo[at]g.msuiit.edu.ph
c) Center for Sustainable Polymers, Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Andres Bonifacio Ave., 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
d) Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics, College of Science and Environment, Mindanao State University-Naawan Campus, Naawan, Misamis Oriental, 9023 Philippines
e) Sustainable Material Process Engineering Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan

Abstract

The effects of nanocellulose extracted from pineapple leaf fiber incorporation on reinforced epoxy nanocomposite^s physicochemical and thermal properties are reported. Nanocellulose was added to the epoxy in different amounts of loadings (0.5 wt.%, 1.0 wt.%, 1.5 wt.%, and 2.0 wt.%) to prepare nanocomposites. The physicochemical and thermal properties of the nanocellulose reinforced epoxy nanocomposites were investigated. Surface characterization of the nanocomposite was done using light microscopy (LM). Functional groups of the nanocomposites were investigated using Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA) and Differential Thermal Analyzer (DTA). Experimental results revealed that the 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% nanocellulose loadings were homogeneously distributed and well-dispersed in the composite matrix as indicated in the LM images. However, aggregation was observed in the matrix with 2.0% nanocellulose loading. FTIR spectra revealed that the absorbance of the vibrational mode corresponding to the interaction of nanocellulose and epoxy matrices significantly increases as the nanocellulose loading ratio increased. Moreover. TGA results showed that the thermal stability improved significantly as the nanocellulose content increased. Furthermore, DTA curves verified these observations, indicating that nanocellulose as reinforcement for epoxy considerably improved thermal properties.

Keywords: Nanocellulose, Pineapple leaf fiber, Epoxy, Physico-chemical, Themal analysis

Topic: Material and Applied Chemistry