ABSTRACT
Nanocomposite films containing cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), as the reinforcing phase, and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/starch (S) blend, as the matrix, were prepared by solution casting technique. For the preparation, 5, 10, 15â¯wt% CNC suspension were incorporated in blends containing 90â¯wt% PVA/10â¯wt%â¯S, 75â¯wt% PVA/25â¯wt%â¯S and 50â¯wt% PVA/50â¯wt%â¯S. Structural evaluation was done by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and X-ray diffraction, and the morphological aspects by atomic force microscopy. Infrared spectroscopy evidenced the presence of H-bond interactions between the PVA and S and between PVA/S blend and CNC, and also variation in the conformational rearrangement, while the X-ray diffraction showed that the crystallite size and the degree of crystallinity were strongly affected by blending of PVA with S and also by the incorporation of CNC in the nanocomposite films. The surface roughness of studied samples increased with the increasing of S and filler content.
