Acetylated cellulose nanofibre as a reinforcement for cellulose acetate

Data on cellulose acetate reinforced with acetylated cellulose nanofibres. First, 30 g of the raw CNF was weighed out in a 250 mL beaker followed by 150 mL of acetic acid. The mixture was initially mixed by hand with a spatula for a minute followed by mixing with a Silverson L4RT high shear mixer at 2000 rpm for 2 min. An azeotropic distillation setup was then used with the heating element gradually increasing to a temperature of 120 oC and magnetic stirring set at a speed of 500 rpm. The mixture was poured into the round bottom flask and the heating element turned on. Each acetylation was done using 20 g of the base material, which with the weight percentage known, calculated the amount of pure CNF withing the 20 g. The material was placed in a 250 mL beaker with 100 mL of acetic acid and then high shear mixed at 2000 rpm for 1 min. All films were made using the film casting method with triacetin used as a plasticizer. For each of the acetylated pastes, four films were made with varying amounts of CNF, namely 2 %, 5 %, 10 % and 15 %.