In-Situ Cellulose Nanocrystals/Polyolefins Nanocomposites (CNCs/PO)

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In our previous NSERC Engage grant we developed a method to make a composite of polyethylene and crystalline nanocellulose. Using this method, we could make a uniform composite wherein the nanocellulose was dispersed in the polyethylene matrix. We were motivated to make this composite because we wanted to combine the excellent properties of crystalline nanocellulose with the versatility of polyethylene. Crystalline nanocellulose is a renewable and sustainable Canadian product with outstanding properties, and polyethylene is the most important commodity plastic today. Even though it is difficult to make this composite because nanocellulose is hydrophilic and polyethylene is hydrophobic, we modified the nanocellulose in a way that allowed it to be partially polymerized with ethylene, forming a hybrid phase with polyethylene that helped compatibilize these two dissimilar materials. In this Engage Plus application, we want to optimize our method to produce crystallinte nanocellulose/polyethylene composites. We plan to make these composites with different nanocellulose loadings using polyethylenes with different properties. We will test the mechanical and barrier properties of these composites to determine how the composition of the composites correlate with their properties. This will permit the research team to design novel composites with properties that fit different applications. We are sure that this Engage Plus application can open the markets to new class of polyethylenes for industrial packaging applications that will bring important economical benefits to our industrial partner and to Canada.