Low-concentration octadecylamine based nano cellulose prepared by acid hydrolysis method improving the toughness and thermal stability of epoxy resin

Modified cellulose nanocrystals were prepared by hydrolyzing softwood pulp board with acrylic acid and p-toluenesulfonic acid, and then the nano cellulose was modified by introducing Octadecylamine into the nano cellulose. Then the modified nano cellulose was dispersed in epoxy resin (EP) to obtain Octadecylamine (ODA) modified nano cellulose-based epoxy resin composites (ONCA/EP) with high strength and good toughness. Moreover, the problem of poor dispersion of nano cellulose in EP is improved. FTIR and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the modified nano cellulose.The application properties were determined through particle size analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-DSC), mechanical property analysis, TEM and SEM. ONCA/EP nano composites have excellent mechanical properties and thermal stability due to inadequate concentration of modified nano cellulose doping. The results show that by introducing 2% ONCA only, the strength reached the highest 74.03MPa, and the elongation at break reached 3.64%; the residual mass at 800℃ increased by 3.68% compared to pure EP. The research utilizes biodegradable nano cellulose for EP modification, opening up new avenues for the applying of nano cellulose in the field of materials science. It is of great significance in enhancing epoxy resin's performance, promoting sustainable materials' development, and expanding the application areas of nano cellulose.