Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
amount of nanoscale reinforcement can have an observable ef ect on the macroscale
properties of the composites. h e ability to control the material features at the nanoscale
and evaluation of their inl uence on the micro- and macroscopic properties provides a
new aspect to the development of nanocomposite systems. h ere has been enormous
interest in the commercialization of nanocomposites for a variety of applications, and a
number of these applications are already found in the market [41]. Nanocomposites are
currently used in a number of i elds and new applications are continuously sought at er.
In line with the development of nanotechnology and recent concern about envi-
ronmental issues, more attention has been paid to the utilization of biobased nano-
materials. In this regard, nanocellulose has gained much more interest because of its
promising characteristics such as biodegradable nature, renewability and lower price
[19]. Nanocellulose-based materials are gaining signii cant interest as potential nano-
i llers for nanocomposites due to their nanoscale dimension (very high surface area-
to-volume ratio), high aspect ratio and impressive mechanical properties (or nanost
rength), which are imparted to the desired nanocomposites [42]. h e advantages for
the use of nanosize cellulosic materials are not only related to these properties; in fact,
its dimensions, in the nanometer scale, open a wide range of possible properties yet to
be discovered. Nanosize cellulosic materials can be isolated from a variety of cellulosic
resources, including plants, animals (tunicates), bacteria and algae, and in principle
could be extracted from almost any cellulosic material by using dif erent procedures.
Remarkable achievements have been witnessed in the green technology of cellulose
nanomaterials in the i eld of materials science, including the development of bio-
nanocomposites. h e growing interest in green product and unsurpassed physical and
chemical properties of nanocellulose have resulted in increased academic and indus-
trial interest towards the development of cellulose nanocomposites. However, there
are still some issues to be overcome and the main challenges in the i eld are related to
an ei cient separation of nanosize cellulosic materials from the natural resources [43].
h e incompatible nature of nanocellulose with most polymers is also a crucial issue for
its application in nanocomposites. In addition, the drying process of nanocellulose for
application in polymer composite is another challenge. h e last but not least point is
related to i nding a process for obtaining a higher yield in nanocellulose isolation. All
these challenges and drawbacks have become the strong driving force for discovering
more ei cient processes and technologies to produce nanocelluloses for application in
nanocomposites, and for inventing new applications as well [15]. Chapters 2-9 of this
topic discuss in detail the synthesis and characterization of dif erent types of nanocellu-
lose-based polymer composites, while Chapters 10-17 discuss in detail the processing
and multifunctional applications of cellulose-based polymer nanocomposites.
1.2
Nanocellulose: Source, Structure, Synthesis and
Applications
Human society has used natural cellulose-based materials for thousands of years, both
knowingly and unknowingly [44]. All the industries around the world are looking
for materials that can be easily procured from renewable and sustainable resources.
However, although cellulose-based materials of er a number of advantages, for advanced
