Physical, mechanical and photodegradation properties of poly(butylene succinate)/cellulose nanofiber nanocomposite

In the recent years, rising oil prices, limiting these resources, and also environmental concerns raised by the increased consumption of plastic materials in the food packaging industry, increased global public concern. Recently, experts in the food packaging industry have sought to find suitable biodegradable substitutes for synthetic polymers. The nanocomposite of poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) and different content of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) including 5, 10 and 20 wt. % were prepared by solvent casting method and physical, mechanical and photodegradation properties of obtained cellulose nanocomposites were characterized. The photodegradation of materials was assessed by weight loss and FTIR spectroscopy. The tensile strength and elastic modulus of PBS films were improved by the addition of the cellulose nanofibers (CNF) compared to the neat polymer. The nanocomposite with 10 wt. % CNF had the highest tensile strength and lowest modulus of elasticity and the elongation at break. By adding the CNF, water vapor permeability decreased from 9.05×10-5 g/m.h.Pa for pure PBS film to 6.96×10-5 g/m.h.Pa for PBS film containing 10 wt. % cellulose nanofibers. In addition, the water uptake and contact angle properties were enhanced by the adding of cellulose nanofibers. The biodegradation results showed that the addition of CNF increased the percentage of the samples weight loss. Therefore, due to the results obtained, it can be concluded that the composites obtained in this study have the potential to be replaced with synthetic polymers.