Mechanical percolation in cellulose whisker nanocomposites

Abstract

Abstract Nanocomposites obtained by casting a mixture of a latex and an aqueous suspension of cellulose whiskers have been studied. Their mechanical properties (e.g. shear modulus) are found to increase by more than three orders of magnitude in the rubbery state of the polymer matrix, when the whisker content is 6 wt%. This large and unusual effect is discussed on the basis of different types of mechanical models, including semi‐phenomenological and numerical finite element calculations. It is concluded that cellulose whiskers form a rigid network linked by hydrogen bonds. The formation of this network is assumed to be governed by a percolation mechanism.

Keywords

Affiliated Institutions

• Université Joseph Fourier FR
• Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique FR
• Centre de Recherches sur les Macromolécules Végétales FR
• Université Grenoble Alpes FR
• École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Nancy FR
• McGill University CA

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