Title
Structure and properties of cellulose/Solidago canadensis L. blend
Authors
JIA-RU YE NAN WANG HAN WANG HUI LUO YUAN REN and QING SHEN

Received September 12, 2012
Published Volume 49 Issue 3-4 March-April
Keywords cellulose, Solidago canadensis L., blend, structure, properties

Abstract
By dissolution of cellulose (9% weight) and Solidago canadensis L. (SCL) (1% weight) in ionic liquid, IL, we prepared a cellulose/SCL blend. Taking pure cellulose as reference, polar microscopy analysis suggested that the SCL was well dissolved in the IL solution. The cellulose/SCL/IL solution has been found to present increased viscosity at a lower shear rate, which could be rapidly reduced to a similar value as that of the pure cellulose solution with a shear rate increase. DSC analysis indicated that this cellulose/SCL blend reduced the glass transformation temperature, Tg, by about 15 °C, as compared to that of the pure cellulose. TG analysis indicated that the cellulose/SCL blend presented a greatly enhanced thermal stability – by about 75 °C higher than that of the pure cellulose. The presence of SCL in cellulose has been also found to increase the stress with about 7%, while reducing the strain by about 35%, as compared with those of the pure cellulose.