Cellulose reinforced polymer composites and nanocomposites: a critical review

This review provides a critical assessment of the use of cellulosic materials for reinforcement in polymer composites. The review focuses on structure–property interrelationships and the compatibilization of cellulosic materials for optimal performance of the resulting composite materials. Optimal material and physical properties are characterized on the basis of the reinforcement’s physical dimension and the nature of the interface between reinforcement and matrix. We explore how very different cellulosic materials—bacterial, microcrystalline, microfibrillated or nanocrystalline—can cause distinctly different reinforcment.