Wholly Biobased Polyamide Thermoplastic Elastomer‐Cellulose Nanocomposites

Polymers play a prominent role in daily lives; however, there is a growing concern on the depleting fossil resources triggering the research for sustainable alternatives. Here, novel wholly biobased nanocomposites are prepared from polyamide 36,36 (PA36,36) thermoplastic elastomer and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). Further, the influence of CNC addition and CNC loading on the morphological features, thermal and mechanical properties of PA36,36 is studied. The presence of CNC in PA36,36 affects the thermal degradation of PA36,36. The additions of 10 and 30 wt% CNCs to the PA36,36 improve the tensile strength and Young's modulus by up to 700% and 750% to 9.6 and 6.8 MPa, respectively, while still maintaining relatively high elongation at break values. The hardness of the polymer increases significantly after the inclusion of CNC. The PA36,36/CNC nanocomposites also show relatively good resilience when exposed to 100% strain. Overall, these biobased thermoplastic elastomer nanocomposites can be potential alternatives for some existing rubbers with low or medium hardness.