PVA nanocomposites reinforced with cellulose nanofibers from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFBs)

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of sonication time on the morphology and properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-cellulose nanocomposite. PVA nanocomposite films were prepared by reinforcement of cellulose nanofibers into a PVA matrix with different sonication time. Two series of PVA films with and without cellulose nanofibers were prepared by varying the sonication time. The effect of sonication time on the morphology and properties of the films were investigated by SEM, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, TGA, and tensile test. The results showed that the mechanical property of the nanocomposite films increased with increasing sonication time until 9 min.