In-situ preparation of Nanocomposites TiO2/cellulose for applications in composite materials

Abstract

Most of the composite materials are made of a plastic matrix with glass or carbon fibers. The biggest disadvantage of these materials is their high cost and the massive generation of plastic waste. These synthetic fibers have been progressively replaced by natural fibers. In this work, we aim to prepare a composite system with low environmental impact based on natural raw material, with high availability and low cost. In order to prepare the nanocomposite, we have used fique fiber agroindustrial waste. The material proposed can be used in applications such as construction, photocatalytic activity, antibacterial agents, and pigmentation, among others. The TiO2 nanoparticles (NP) were prepared in presence of fique "furcraea sp." cellulosic fibers by synthesis by in situ method using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) as a precursor and sodium hydroxide as a reductor. The nanocomposites were structurally characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the mechanical properties of the fiber were evaluated by the standard test method for the tensile strength and Young's modulus of fibers (ASTM C1557-14).