Technological watch

Four kinds of inorganic nanoparticles (INPs) (SiO2, MMT, CaCO3, and BN) were added as fillers into lignin/PHBH (L/P) composites to obtain four novel nanocomposites by solution casting. The thermal stability and barrier properties of MMT/L/P composites are greatly improved. The addition of CaCO3 and BN significantly enhanced the elongation at break of L/P, and SiO2/L/P obtained the highest tensile strength. All four nanocomposites have very strong ultraviolet (UV) resistance.In this study, four typical biocomposites from lignin blended with poly?3?hydroxybutyrate?3?hydroxyhexanoate (PHBH) using inorganic nanoparticles (INPs) (SiO2, MMT, CaCO3, and BN) as fillers were evaluated, which enhanced the thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties of composites. The results revealed that the selection of suitable INPs doped into the lignin/PHBH (L/P) composites was an important approach to achieve available function. MMT/L/P nanocomposites were significantly higher than those of untreated L/P composites in thermal stability (Tmax exceed 10%) and barrier properties (water vapor and oxygen resistance increased by 48% and 46%), and BN particles increased the initial thermal decomposition temperature by 8%. The elongation at break of CaCO3/L/P and BN/L/P composites were increased by 344% and 319%, while SiO2/L/P composites had the best tensile strength (18.8 MPa). Besides, the INPs/L/P nanocomposites in this paper exhibited excellent ultraviolet (UV) resistance and might become potential anti?UV packaging materials for grease foods.