Preparation and Characterization of Modified Cellulose Fiber-Reinforced Polyvinyl Alcohol/Polypyrrolidone Hybrid Film Composites

In this work, cellulose was modified by using 2-(trifluromethyl)benzoylchloride by base catalyzed reaction. Modification of cellulose was confirmed by IR studies. The biodegradable composite films were developed by a film casting method using modified cellulose with poly(vinyl alcohol) and polypyrrolidone in different compositions. Film composites showed good biodegradability. Better barrier and mechanical properties showed by film composites as the percentage of modified cellulose increased. This indicates the importance of modified cellulose as a reinforcing agent. After analyzing these properties of film composites we came to the conclusion that, these biocomposites can be used for membrane and packaging applications.