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Quantification of the degree of mixing of cellulose nanocrystals in thermoplastics using Raman spectroscopy
Author(s) -
Lewandowska A. E.,
Eichhorn S. J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of raman spectroscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.748
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1097-4555
pISSN - 0377-0486
DOI - 10.1002/jrs.4966
Subject(s) - high density polyethylene , raman spectroscopy , mixing (physics) , agglomerate , materials science , composite material , thermoplastic , polyethylene , cellulose , dispersion (optics) , chemical engineering , optics , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
A combination of Raman imaging with image analysis has been used to quantify the degree of mixing of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in melt compounded high‐density polyethylene (HDPE). Raman spectroscopy is shown to provide an accurate ‘fingerprint’ of the composition of the cross‐sectional area of the end section of a formed composite. This information is then converted to a chemical image allowing spatial quantification of the mixing of CNCs in the HDPE. A degree of mixing between CNCs and HDPE is reported, with a strong tendency for the former to agglomerate with little dispersion. Freeze‐dried CNCs show better mixing with HDPE and a lower tendency to agglomerate than spray‐dried CNCs. This approach shows the potential to use Raman spectroscopy to quantify the degree of mixing of CNCs in a thermoplastic matrix. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.