Preparation and characterization of a bionanocomposite from poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) and cellulose nanocrystals

In this study, a novel bionanocomposite of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) was prepared by the cast-film method. The influence of the CNC content on the morphology, crystallization, as well as thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties (oxygen and water vapor) of the bionanocomposite was systematically investigated. The results showed that the crystallization behavior of PHBH was changed with the addition of CNCs, resulting in an improvement in the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the bionanocomposite. Compared with PHBH, the water-vapor permeability coefficient of bionanocomposite increased by 207.82% and the oxygen permeability coefficient decreased by 18.46%. Moreover, it was notable that the bionanocomposite possessed the optimal mechanical properties when the CNC content was 2.3 wt%. Graphical abstract