Biodegradable Composites Reinforced withCellulose Nanofiber Extracted from WastePaper Pulp

We tried to extract cellulose nanofibers from waste newspaper as a high-yield cellulosic source. Waste newspaper was treated chemically and physically in order to extract individualized cellulose nanofibers from the cellulosic pulp materials. The combination of acid hydrolysis and phisical treatments resulted in the cellulose nanofibers of diameter between 10–40 nm. The reinforcing effect of the extracted cellulose nanofibers was investigated by composing with a starch-based biodegradable resin. The results of the tensile tests show significant enhancement in mechanical properties of the extracted cellulose nanofiber- reinforced composites.