Preparation and Characterization of Bacterial Cellulose/Polylactide Nanocomposites

Nanocomposite consisting of two biocompatible materials, bacterial cellulose (BC) and polylactide was prepared. To improve the compatibility, maleic anhydride (MA) was first grafted onto BC nanofibers. Mechanical tests showed that the tensile strength and modulus of the composites increased, especially the composites including BC nanofibers modified with MA. Differential scanning calorimetry showed the thermal behaviors changed due to the addition of BC. The morphology of the composites suggested that the grafting of MA made BC nanofibers well disperse into polylactide matrix and the interfacial adhesion between BC and polylactide was improved. This research proposes novel avenues to tailor the dispersion of BC nanofibers into the thermoplastic matrix to produce nanocomposites and improve the compatibility of reinforcement and matrix.