Production of polylactic acid biocomposite reinforced with environmentally friendly cellulose nanofiber derived from steam-treated bamboo

Cellulose nanofiber-blended polylactic acid composites were prepared to enhance biodegradable polymers, which are expected to be a viable solution to the recent plastic waste crisis. The cellulose nanofibers were prepared by extracting cellulose fibers from bamboo using high-temperature and high-pressure steam and then disintegrating the fibers to the nanoscale. The optimum conditions for the processing pressure of the high-temperature and high-pressure steam treatments and the extraction process grinding time were investigated. Furthermore, the mixing ratio of cellulose nanofibers and polylactic acid for the fabrication of the composites was examined. The results show that the best condition was a 1:1 (50 wt% CNF) blend of cellulose nanofibers made with 15 atm of steam pressure for 5 min of steaming time followed by 10 s of milling time to make composites with polylactic acid that had 2.35 times the strength (77.5 MPa/g/cm(3)) of polylactic acid alone (33.3 MPa/g/cm(3)). This indicates that cellulose nanofibers produced from bamboo using high-temperature and high-pressure steam treatments can be used as reinforcing materials for low-strength biodegradable polymers.