Poly (methyl methacrylate) / bacterial cellulose nanofiber nanocomposites prepared by solution casting method and its reinforcement study

Bacterial cellulose nanofibers as biobased reinforcement with biodegradability, renewability, and good physical properties for the lightweight construction design of polymer composite materials with high performance are often explored. The current work addresses the fabrication of a series types of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composites consisting of three different concentrations of bacterial cellulose nanofiber (BCNF) networks (1, 2, and 3 Wt.%) by solution casting method. The prepared PMMA/BCNF was characterized with scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was evident that the PMMA/BCNF nanocomposite film (1 Wt.%) has a flat and smooth surface and the BCNF filler is scattered on the PMMA surface matrix but barely detected in the PMMA/BCNF composite film due to the compatibility between the PMMA matrix and BCNF filler. TGA analysis demonstrates that plots shifted to higher temperatures with the increase of BCNF concentration in the PMMA matrix. The wettability and mechanical properties of obtained composite films were studied and compared to neat PMMA. The results show that the PMMA/BCNF nanocomposite film (1 Wt.%) has the best hydrophilicity and mechanical properties such as tensile strength, tensile strain, and Young’s modulus. This work is intended to spur all researchers to more research and development for enhanced potential application of PMMA nanocomposites that are reinforced with BCNF in a wide application fields such as photocatalysis-wastewater treatment, packaging, flexible screens, and optically transparent films.