Processing and Mechanical Properties of Starch and PVA Composite Reinforced by MCC
The thermoplastic processing and mechanical properties of starch and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) composites reinforced with microcrystal cellulose (MCC) were investigated. Glycerol with 30 wt% was chosen as the plasticizer for starch and PVA, respectively. MCC with 2 wt% was used to reinforce the starch/PVA composite. The results showed that the mechanical properties of the obtained starch/PVA blend were best when the glycerol content was 30% of starch and 20% of PVA, and the weight ratio of PVA and starch was 4/6 (wPVA/wstarch). After the addition of MCC, the mechanical properties of the starch/PVA blends were improved, and the tensile strength was increased by 52%. Moreover, it was confirmed by rheological measurements that MCC could interact with the composite materials, which results in the improvement of the mechanical strength of the starch/PVA composites.