Abstract
Kenaf cellulose whiskers-reinforced nanocomposites are manufactured by solution casting. Different kenaf cellulose whiskers percentages were used as reinforcement in cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) matrix. The percentages of reinforcement used in this study are 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10%. Resulted nanocomposite was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The FTIR analysis showed no intermolecular hydrogen bonding between CAB and whiskers. Thermal analysis found that whiskers reinforcement did not affect the decomposition temperature of nanocomposite. However, single decomposition temperature indicated good miscibility of nanocomposite. The DSC curves revealed that melting temperature and CAB recrystallization did not show any changes during heat-cool-heat measurement. In addition, glass transition was unchanged as kenaf whiskers content increased. This indicated that kenaf cellulose whiskers reinforcement did not affect the onset of translational and rotational backbone motions in the composite matrix. Dynamic mechanical analysis of nanocomposites showed an improvement by increasing the kenaf whiskers content in the CAB matrix.