Modeling the Mechanical Behavior of Microcrystalline Cellulose-Based Polymer Composite Materials

Polymer-based composite materials are used in many engineering applications. There is an increasing demand for environment-friendly reinforcing materials in the industry. Previous studies done in this laboratory suggested that microcrystalline cellulose-based composite has better properties such as tensile strength, elastic modulus, stiffness, water absorption, and thermal stability. The property optimization solely through an experimental approach costs a lot of time and resources. However, if a reliable model can be developed to explain the composition property relationship, the cost can be significantly reduced. A simple rule of mixture-based models does not adequately explain the variation of mechanical properties with the composition. This paper discusses a modified form of a mathematical model based on a rule of mixture principles to predict the mechanical behavior of microcrystalline cellulose-based polymer composites. The model aims to predict the mechanical property variation of Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) reinforced composites. Theoretical values obtained from the developed model were compared with the experimental values obtained from the fabricated composites. The results show good agreements, confirming the potential of the mathematical model.