Rina Tannenbaum
Stony Brook University, USA
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Chem Eng Process Technol
Polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) are materials in which the polymer matrix is loaded with a nanoscale particulate phase and exhibit physical properties that are superior to those achieved in corresponding conventional composites or in pure polymer matrices of particular interest are PNCs in which one or more of the components are biocompatible. These types of composites encompass the advantages of the enhancement of the properties of their individual components with the ease of disposal and recycling and hence, are poised to become a class of materials of pivotal technological and environmental importance. The ability to control the surface chemistry of the particulate phase is essential for achieving high mechanical strength in PNCs. Nanoparticles having an abundance of functional groups at their surface can effectively bind to the polymer matrix without the need for surface modification. A particularly promising class of nanoparticles that exhibit superior mechanical strength and encompass a wealth of surface reactivity and biocompatibility are cellulose nanofibers (CNF). However, their high surface reactivity poses serious challenges in their consolidation into a uniform dispersion. These consolidation issues may be substantially alleviated by using a solvent that would also function as a monomer, which, upon rapid polymerization, will inhibit nanoparticle aggregation. One such solvent system is furfuryl alcohol (FA), which is a bio-based raw material and a particularly interesting cyclic ether. Acid-catalyzed polymerization and resinification of FA have been studied intensively in the past, but many aspects of the process, including the initiation mechanism, are still unknown. For sake of simplicity, we can coIt is assumed that the processes of oligomerization and resinification occur at low and high temperature, respectively. However, is no clear-cut difference between the two processes and partial resinification occurs already during oligomerization. This process can continue and lead to the formation of long polymeric chains.
E-mail: irena.tannenbaum@stonybrook.edu
