The impact of the introduction of hydrolyzed cellulose on the thermal and mechanical properties of LDPE composites

Cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer on earth, due to its renewability and biodegradability appears as an interesting alternative for the design of more eco-friendly materials. Despite some interesting results, the production of nanoscale cellulose still proves to be costly and difficult in order to industrialize the process. In this work, powdered cellulose from pulp hydrolysis was used to prepare composites with low-density polyethylene that present improved mechanical performance and could contribute to the reduction in the environmental impact of this polymer. The mechanical, thermal and water absorption properties of the composites were assessed and discussed. The results proved that it is possible to obtain a scalable process for the production of natural-based composites with improved mechanical properties.