Green Composite of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) Reinforced with Porous Cellulose

In this study, a green composite from bacterial polyester, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH), and cellulose was developed. Cellulose gel was prepared from a Ca(SCN), aqueous solution, and subsequent washing by ethanol gave regenerated porous cellulose without shrinkage. The PHBH/cellulose composite was fabricated by immersion of porous cellulose in a polymer solution. The cellulose content of the composite was controlled by changing the cellulose concentration of the Ca(SCN)2 aqueous solution. The resulting. composites showed a relatively good transparency with improvements in mechanical properties such as tensile strength, toughness, and brittleness. Furthermore, the thermal stability of the composites was 'improved by the introduction of cellulose. These composites from renewable resources are expected to contribute to the development of biobased materials in composite science.