This paper provides an overview of recent progress made in the area of cellulose nanofibre-based nanocomposites. An introduction into the methods used to isolate cellulose nanofibres (nanowhiskers, nanofibrils) is given, with details of their structure. Following this, the article is split into sections dealing with processing and characterisation of cellulose nanocomposites and new developments in the area, with particular emphasis on applications. The types of cellulose nanofibres covered are those extracted from plants by acid hydrolysis (nanowhiskers), mechanical treatment and those that occur naturally (tunicate nanowhiskers) or under culturing conditions (bacterial cellulose nanofibrils). Research highlighted in the article are the use of cellulose nanowhiskers for shape memory nanocomposites, analysis of the interfacial properties of cellulose nanowhisker and nanofibril-based composites using Raman spectroscopy, switchable interfaces that mimic sea cucumbers, polymerisation from the surface of cellulose nanowhiskers by atom transfer radical polymerisation and ring opening polymerisation, and methods to analyse the dispersion of nanowhiskers. The applications and new advances covered in this review are the use of cellulose nanofibres to reinforce adhesives, to make optically transparent paper for electronic displays, to create DNA-hybrid materials, to generate hierarchical composites and for use in foams, aerogels and starch nanocomposites and the use of all-cellulose nanocomposites for enhanced coupling between matrix and fibre. A comprehensive coverage of the literature is given and some suggestions on where the field is likely to advance in the future are discussed.

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Review: current international research into cellulose nanofibres and nanocomposites

Characterization and Properties of Natural Fiber Polymer Composites: A Comprehensive Review

Epoxy nanocomposites ¿ fracture and toughening mechanisms

Effects of various fillers on the sliding wear of polymer composites

Homogeneous epoxy coatings containing nanoparticles of SiO 2 , Zn, Fe 2 O 3 and halloysite clay were successfully synthesized on steel substrates by room-temperature curing of a fully mixed epoxy slurry diluted by acetone. The surface morphology and mechanical properties of these coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, respectively. The effect of incorporating various nanoparticles on the corrosion resistance of epoxy-coated steel was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrochemical monitoring of the coated steel over 28 days of immersion in both 0.3 wt.% and 3 wt.% NaCl solutions suggested the beneficial role of nanoparticles in significantly improving the corrosion resistance of the coated steel, with the Fe 2 O 3 and halloysite clay nanoparticles being the best. The SiO 2 nanoparticles were found to significantly improve the microstructure of the coating matrix and thus enhanced both the anticorrosive performance and Young's modulus of the epoxy coating. In addition to enhancing the coating barrier performance, at least another mechanism was at work to account for the role of the nanoparticles in improving the anticorrosive performance of these epoxy coatings.

Effect of nanoparticles on the anticorrosion and mechanical properties of epoxy coating

Friction and wear of low nanometer Si3N4 filled epoxy composites

Sliding wear behavior of epoxy containing nano-Al2O3 particles with different pretreatments

Self-reinforced melt processable composites of sisal

Graft polymerization onto inorganic nanoparticles and its effect on tribological performance improvement of polymer composites

Benzylation of sawdust from China fir was carried out to prepare plastics based on natural resources. It was found that thermoplasticity and mechanical properties of the chemically modified wood flour changed with the substitution reaction conditions. By compounding sisal fibers and the plasticized fir sawdust, unidirectional laminates were manufactured in a method similar to conventional thermoplastic composites. Such an all-plant fiber composite material is characterized by easy processing, environmental friendliness, and low cost. Instead of chemical heterogeneity of conventional composites, physical heterogeneity of the current natural fiber composite should be favorable for interfacial interaction. However, the reinforcing sisal fibers were not well impregnated by the matrix because of the relatively high viscosity of the benzylated fir sawdust. Further efforts should be made in this area on the basis of the current preliminary work in order to improve mechanical properties of the composites.

Guang Shi

Papers

Friction and wear of low nanometer Si3N4 filled epoxy composites

Sliding wear behavior of epoxy containing nano-Al2O3 particles with different pretreatments

Self-reinforced melt processable composites of sisal

Graft polymerization onto inorganic nanoparticles and its effect on tribological performance improvement of polymer composites

All-plant fiber composites. i: unidirectional sisal fiber reinforced benzylated wood