Biobased super engineering plastic nanocomposite of cellulose nanofibers and isosorbide

Bio-super engineering plastic using biomass-derived isosorbide based poly(arylene ether ketone) (IK) is essential for sustainable development. However, synthesized IK is brittle owing to its rigid structure. To overcome this problem, cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were used as fillers. The CNFs were dispersed in melted isosorbide and then polymerized using an in situ method to enhance the mechanical properties of the composites. The effects of the CNF filler on IK were investigated through tensile testing and by analyzing the morphology of the fracture surface, and rheology. Adding 0.05 wt% CNF increased elongation and acted as a plasticizer, while 0.1 wt% CNF increased both tensile strength and elongation, improving the tensile toughness by up to two-fold through interaction between the matrix and filler. Overall, the addition of CNFs as a filler has the potential to improve the mechanical properties of IK, thus making it suitable for various sustainable applications.