Can cellulose nanofibers strengthen polyacrylamide gels through in situ free radical polymerization?

Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) have emerged as a promising nanofiller for effective reinforcement of nanocomposites due to their excellent mechanical properties. In this study, CNFs were fabricated by a simple grinding method and used to strengthen polyacrylamide (PAM) gels through in situ free radical polymerization.

How to synthesize a cellulose-based superabsorbent composite?

Conclusions A cellulose-based superabsorbent composite was synthesized by grafting AA and AM onto flax yarn waste cellulose. The optimal synthesis parameters were 70 °C reaction temperature, 0.1 g/g initiator to cellulose mass ratio, 5 g/g monomer (AA + AM) to cellulose mass ratio, and 3:1 AA/AM mass ratio.

Are cellulose nanocrystal composites biodegradable?

In recent years, studies of the properties of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) composites with polymers have made significant contributions to the development of biodegradable and biocompatible materials and functional materials with useful properties.

What is a cellulose-based superabsorbent composite?

A new cellulose-based superabsorbent composite was homogeneously synthesized by simultaneously grafting the hydrophilic monomers AA and AM onto a cellulose backbone in low-cost NaOH/urea solution (Zhang et al., 2003). Ammonium persulfate (APS) and N, N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) were used as the initiator and crosslinker, respectively.

Can cellulose nanocrystals improve the mechanical properties of Pam gel?

Up to now, a large number of studies have been conducted to improve mechanical properties of PAM gel via adding natural nanoscale fillers such as cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) into the PAM matrix (Zhou and Wu 2011; Kurihara and Isogai 2014 ).

Does Pam conformation influence the behaviour of polyacrylamide/cellulose nanocrystal (Pam/CNC) composites?

In this work, a series of polyacrylamide/cellulose nanocrystal (PAM/CNC) composites with a wide range of compositions were prepared by a solution casting method. Subsequently, the influence of the PAM conformation on the behaviour of the PAM/CNC composites was studied.