Hybrid films of chitosan, cellulose nanofibrils and boric acid: Flame retardancy, optical and thermo-mechanical properties

Khan M.A. Uddin, Mariko Ago, Orlando J. Rojas*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

58 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Chitosan (CS), cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and boric acid, the latter of which was used as flame retardant, were combined in transparent, hybrid films that were produced by solvent casting. The flammability and the thermal stability of the films were studied with respect to the loading of the inorganic component. Chitosan films displayed fire retardancy properties, which were enhanced in the presence of boric acid. CNF films, in contrast to those from chitosan, were readily flammable; however, when combined with boric acid (30 w%), they became self-extinguishing. Most remarkably, bicomponent films comprising CNF and chitosan, displayed better fire retardancy than that of neat CS films. Moreover, boric acid improved the thermal stability of the bicomponent films. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of CS, CNF and CS-CNF films improved at intermediate boric acid addition, although a negative effect on elongation was observed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)13-21
Number of pages9
JournalCarbohydrate Polymers
Volume177
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2017
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

  • Boric acid
  • Cellulose nanofibrils
  • Chitosan
  • Fire retardancy
  • Thermal stability
  • Transparent films

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Hybrid films of chitosan, cellulose nanofibrils and boric acid: Flame retardancy, optical and thermo-mechanical properties'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this