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Surface and Reducing End Modification of Nanocellulose to Tailor Miscibility and Mechanical Performance of Reinforced Elastomer Sustainable Composites
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This paper is not primarily about microplastics. It describes the development of nanocellulose-reinforced rubber composites as sustainable alternatives to address plastic pollution, including ocean plastic. While the motivation relates to reducing plastic waste, the study itself focuses on polymer materials science and composite engineering rather than microplastic contamination or human health exposure.
The development of sustainable nanocelluloses (CNCs) reinforced elastomer composites with high performance is of importance to address the plastic contamination issues, especially the ocean plastic pollution. However, achieving homogeneous dispersion and nanoscale reinforcement of CNCs in the hydrophobic elastomer matrix has been a primary challenging issue attributed to the hydrophilic feature of CNCs and agglomeration during processing. To tailor the mechanical performance of CNCs reinforced elastomer nanocomposites, surface modification of nanocellulose as the traditional way and its reducing end modification as an emerging novel method are ideal strategy to improve its overall performance. In this chapter, nanocellulose surface and reducing end modification to design high performance sustainable CNCs reinforced elastomer composites will be summarized.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.