Production of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC)-reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) nanocomposites from sheets obtained by a papermaking-like process

The fabrication of cellulose nanofiber-reinforced composites has been so far problematic due to difficulties in obtaining good dispersion of hydrophilic cellulose fibers in a hydrophobic polymer matrix. A new manufacturing process similar to papermaking, which enables the production of thin sheets made of uniformly dispersed microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) with polylactic acid (PLA) fibers was devised, and the composites were obtained by compression molding of the stacked sheets. The process is suitable for adoption at an industrial scale owing to the high yields and fast dewatering times. The measurement of tensile properties revealed that the modulus, strength, and strain at fracture increased linearly with the MFC content. The improvement in toughness was considered one of the key benefits brought by MFC reinforcement.