Effects of Nanocellulose Extracted from Pineapple Leaf Fiber Incorporation on the Physico-Chemical and Thermal Properties of Reinforced Epoxy Nanocomposites

The effects of nanocellulose extracted from pineapple leaf fiber on the physico-chemical and thermal properties of epoxy nanocomposite are reported. Nanocellulose was added to the epoxy in different amounts of loadings (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 wt.%) to prepare nanocomposites. The physico-chemical and thermal properties of the nanocellulose reinforced epoxy nanocomposites were investigated. Surface characterization of the nanocomposite was done using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Functional groups of the nanocomposites were evaluated using fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Thermal properties of the nanocomposites were investigated using thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and differential thermal analyzer (DTA). Experimental results revealed that the 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 wt.% nanocellulose loadings were homogeneously distributed and well-dispersed in the composite matrix as indicated in the SEM images. However, aggregation was observed in the matrix with 2.0 wt.% nanocellulose loading. Moreover, FTIR spectra revealed that the absorbance of the vibrational mode corresponding to the interaction of nanocellulose and epoxy matrices significantly increases as the nanocellulose loading ratio increased. Furthermore, thermal analysis (TGA/DTA) showed that the incorporation of nanocellulose improved significantly the thermal properties of epoxy nanocomposites.