Fabrication of α-chitin whisker-reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite nanofibres by electrospinning
- 21 August 2006
- journal article
- Published by IOP Publishing in Nanotechnology
- Vol. 17 (17), 4519-4528
- https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/17/17/039
Abstract
The present contribution reports, for the first time, the successful fabrication of α-chitin whisker-reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanocomposite nanofibres by electrospinning. The α-chitin whiskers were prepared from α-chitin flakes from shrimp shells by acid hydrolysis. The as-prepared chitin whiskers exhibited lengths in the range 231-969 nm and widths in the range 12-65 nm, with the average length and width being about 549 and 31 nm, respectively. Successful incorporation of the chitin whiskers within the as-spun PVA/chitin whisker nanocomposite nanofibres was verified by infrared spectroscopic and thermogravimetric methods. The incorporation of chitin whiskers within the as-spun nanocomposite fibre mats increased the Young's modulus by about 4-8 times over that of the neat as-spun PVA fibre mat.Keywords
This publication has 42 references indexed in Scilit:
- Cellulose nanocrystals reinforced poly(oxyethylene)Polymer, 2004
- Properties of polymer–nanoparticle compositesCurrent Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, 2003
- Plasticized Starch/Tunicin Whiskers Nanocomposite Materials. 2. Mechanical BehaviorMacromolecules, 2001
- Plasticized Starch/Tunicin Whiskers Nanocomposites. 1. Structural AnalysisMacromolecules, 2000
- Transcrystallization in Mcl-PHAs/Cellulose Whiskers CompositesMacromolecules, 1999
- Polysaccharide Microcrystals Reinforced Amorphous Poly(β-hydroxyoctanoate) Nanocomposite MaterialsMacromolecules, 1999
- New Nanocomposite Materials: Microcrystalline Starch Reinforced ThermoplasticMacromolecules, 1996
- Polymer Nanocomposites Reinforced by Cellulose WhiskersMacromolecules, 1995
- Biology of Fibrous CompositesPublished by Cambridge University Press (CUP) ,1993
- The assembly of cellulose microfibrils in Valonia macrophysa KützPlanta, 1984