SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYURETHANE/MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE BIONANOCOMPOSITES

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYURETHANE/MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE BIONANOCOMPOSITES

Polyurethane/microcrystalline cellulose bionanocomposite were prepared by adding microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) in a polyurethane matrix. The naostructure of this polyurethane was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The resulting nanocomposites show improved the mechanical properties due to good interaction, by both covalent and hydrogen bonds, between the polyurethane and the microcrystalline cellulose.