Biodegradability and property characterizations of Methyl Cellulose: Effect of nanocompositing and chemical crosslinking

Broader range of biodegradability and other essential properties of Methyl Cellulose (MC) were achieved through nanocomposite formation and chemical crosslinking. Methyl Cellulose/Montmorillonite (MC/MMT) nanocomposites as well as MC-glutaraldehyde crosslinked films were characterized for thermal properties, tensile properties, moisture absorption, and biodegradability. MC/MMT nanocomposite films prepared by MMT suspension exhibited exfoliation which was confirmed by XRD and TEM results. In the chemical crosslinked system, the FTIR spectra revealed the crosslinkage between MC and GA. The tensile properties of the crosslinked films indicated that optimum GA content was 4.5 wt%. In addition, MC prepared from each method was capable of enhancing different properties. The MC/MMT nanocomposites could significantly improve tensile modulus (nanocompositing: 65%; crosslinking: 45%), while MC crosslinked film could outstandingly increase glass transition temperature (nanocompositing: 4 °C; crosslinking: 17 °C) and decrease moisture absorption properties (nanocompositing: 19%; crosslinking: 26%). The crosslinkage technique had more potential to hinder the biodegradation process. In 6 weeks, the CO2 emission of crosslinked films was reduced around 80% in comparison with that of pure MC.