Robust All-Cellulose Nanofiber Composite from Stack-Up Bacterial Cellulose Hydrogels via Self-Aggregation Forces
Zhaoqian Li, Xiaopeng Li, Junming Ren, Bo Wu, Qingping Luo, Xun Liu, Chonghua Pei
Abstract
All-cellulose composites are usually prepared by removing impurities and using a surface-selective dissolution approach, which detract significantly from their environment-friendly properties. In this paper, we report an environment-friendly approach to fabricate all-cellulose nanofiber composites from stack-up bacterial cellulose (BC) hydrogels via self-aggregation forces of the hydrogen bond by water-based processing. Structural and mechanical properties of BC-laminated composites have been investigated. The results indicated that BC composites possess the structure of all nanofibers, a tensile strength of 116 MPa, and a storage modulus of 25 GPa. Additionally, the interfacial shear strength and tensile strength of piece-hot-press BC demonstrate the strong self-aggregation forces of BC nanofibers. Thus, BC-laminated composites will be attractive in structural material.