Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Micromechanical Tensile Testing of Cellulose-Reinforced Electrospun Fibers Using a Template Transfer Method (TTM)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Polymers and the Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A template transfer method (TTM) and a fiber fixation technique were established for fiber handling and micro tensile stage mounting of aligned and non-aligned electrospun fiber mats. The custom-made template had been precut to be mounted on a variety of collectors, including a rapidly rotating collector used to align the fibers. The method eliminated need for direct physical interaction with the fiber mats before or during the tensile testing since the fiber mats were never directly clamped or removed from the original substrate. By using the TTM it was possible to measure the tensile properties of aligned poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) fiber mats, which showed a 250 % increase in strength and 450 % increase in modulus as compared to a non-aligned system. The method was further evaluated for aligned PMMA fibers reinforced with cellulose (4 wt%) prepared as enzymatically derived nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC). These fibers showed an additional increase of 30 % in both tensile strength and modulus, resulting in a toughness increase of 25 %. The fracture interfaces of the PMMA–NFC fibers showed a low amount of NFC pull-outs, indicating favorable phase compatibility. The presented fiber handling technique is universal and may be applied where conservative estimates of mechanical properties need to be assessed for very thin fibers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Doshi J, Reneker DH (1995) J Electrostat 35(2–3):151–160

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Olsson RT, Kraemer RH, Lopez-Rubio A, Torres-Giner S, Ocio MJ, Lagaron JM (2010) Macromolecules 43(9):4201–4209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Barhate RS, Ramakrishna S (2007) J Memb Sci 296(1–2):1–8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Zhou Y, Yang D, Chen X, Xu Q, Lu F, Nie J (2008) Biomacromolecules 9(1):349–354

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Sheikh FA, Barakat NAM, Kanjwal MA, Chaudhari AA, Jung I-H, Lee JH, Kim HY (2009) Macromol Res 17(9):688–696

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Zhang YZ, Feng Y, Huang ZM, Ramakrishna S, Lim CT (2006) Nanotechnology 17(3):901–908

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Li D, Xia YN (2004) Nano Lett 4(5):933–938

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Sen R, Zhao B, Perea D, Itkis ME, Hu H, Love J, Bekyarova E, Haddon RC (2004) Nano Lett 4(3):459–464

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Swart M, Olsson RT, Hedenqvist MS, Mallon PE (2010) Polym Eng Sci 50(11):2143–2152

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Bayley GM, Hedenqvist M, Mallon PE (2011) Polymer 52(18):4061–4072

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Martinez-Sanz M, Olsson RT, Lopez-Rubio A, Lagaron JM (2012) J Appl Polym Sci 124(2):1398–1408

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Martinez-Sanz M, Olsson RT, Lopez-Rubio A, Lagaron JM (2011) Cellulose 18(2):335–347

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Jaeger R, Bergshoef MM, Batlle CMI, Schonherr H, Vancso GJ (1998) Macromol Symp 127:141–150

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. http://www.elmarco.com/products/ns-organic-production-lines-1600/

  15. Sanders JE, Nicholson BS, Mitchell SB, Ledger RE (2003) J Biomed Mater Res, Part A 67A(4):1412–1416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Tan EPS, Lim CT (2004) Rev Sci Instrum 75(8):2581–2585

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Tan EPS, Lim CT (2004) Appl Phys Lett 84(9):1603–1605

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Croisier F, Duwez AS, Jérôme C, Léonard AF, van der Werf KO, Dijkstra PJ, Bennink ML (2012) Acta Biomater 8(1):218–224

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Dong H, Strawhecker KE, Snyder JF, Orlicki JA, Reiner RS, Rudie AW (2012) Carbohydr Polym 87(4):2488–2495

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Inai R, Kotaki M, Ramakrishna S (2005) Nanotechnology 16(2):208–213

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Tan EPS, Ng SY, Lim CT (2005) Biomaterials 26(13):1453–1456

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Tan EPS, Lim CT (2006) Compos Sci Technol 66(9):1102–1111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Burgert I, Fruhmann K, Keckes J, Fratzl P, Stanzl-Tschegg SE (2003) Holzforschung 57(6):661–664

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Wong S-C, Baji A, Leng S (2008) Polymer 49(21):4713–4722

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Baker SC, Atkin N, Gunning PA, Granville N, Wilson K, Wilson D, Southgate J (2006) Biomaterials 27(16):3136–3146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Huang ZM, Zhang YZ, Ramakrishna S, Lim CT (2004) Polymer 45(15):5361–5368

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Hsieh YC, Yano H, Nogi M, Eichhorn SJ (2008) Cellulose 15(4):507–513

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Nishiyama Y (2009) J Wood Sci 55(4):241–249

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Iwamoto S, Kai W, Isogai A, Iwata T (2009) Biomacromolecules 10(9):2571–2576

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Hepworth DG, Bruce DM (2000) J Mater Sci 35(23):5861–5865

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Mark RE (1967) Cell wall mechanics of tracheids. Yale University Press, New Haven

    Google Scholar 

  32. Kroonbatenburg LMJ, Kroon J, Northolt MG (1986) Polym Commun 27(10):290–292

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Helbert W, Cavaille JY, Dufresne A (1996) Polym Compos 17(4):604–611

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Nakagaito AN, Yano H (2005) Appl Phys A Mater Sci Process 80(1):155–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Fernandes SCM, Freire CSR, Silvestre AJD, Neto CP, Gandini A, Berglund LA, Salmen L (2010) Carbohydr Polym 81(2):394–401

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Sehaqui H, Salajkova M, Zhou Q, Berglund LA (2010) Soft Matter 6(8):1824–1832

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Sehaqui H, Zhou Q, Berglund LA (2011) Soft Matter 7(16):7342–7350

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Henriksson M, Henriksson G, Berglund LA, Lindstrom T (2007) Eur Polym J 43(8):3434–3441

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Hermans PH, Platzek P (1939) Kolloid-Z 88:68–72

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. O’Connor RT (1972) Instrumental analysis of cotton cellulose and modified cotton cellulose. M. Dekker, New York

    Google Scholar 

  41. Bashford D (1997) Thermoplastics: directory and databook, 1st edn. Chapman & Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  42. Henriksson M, Berglund LA, Isaksson P, Lindstrom T, Nishino T (2008) Biomacromolecules 9(6):1579–1585

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. McCrum NG, Buckley CP, Bucknall CB (1997) Principles of polymer engineering, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  44. van den Akker JA, Lathrop AL, Voelker MH, Dearth LR (1958) Tappi 41(8):416–425

    Google Scholar 

  45. Zhou C, Chu R, Wu R, Wu Q (2011) Biomacromolecules 12(7):2617–2625

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Baek W-I, Pant HR, Nirmala R, Nam K-T, Oh H-J, Kim H-Y (2012) Polym Int 61(5):844–849

    Google Scholar 

  47. Liu L-Q, Tasis D, Prato M, Wagner HD (2007) Adv Mater 19(9):1228–1233

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Madsen B, Joffe R, Peltola H, Nattinen K (2011) J Compos Mater 45(20):2119–2131

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Cox HL (1952) Br J Appl Phys 3(3):72–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. van Krevelen DW (1990) Properties of polymers, 3rd edn. Amsterdam, New York, Elsevier

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency is acknowledged for providing the financial support of this project. Dr. Andreas Fisher (Division of Inorganic Chemistry, Royal Institute of Technology) is thanked for performing the X-ray diffraction characterization.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Fibre and Polymer Technology, Royal Institute of Technology, 100 44, Stockholm, Sweden

    Richard L. Andersson, Mikael S. Hedenqvist & Richard T. Olsson

  2. Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Royal Institute of Technology, 100 44, Stockholm, Sweden

    Michaela Salajkova, Lars A. Berglund & Richard T. Olsson

  3. Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch, 7602, South Africa

    Peter E. Mallon

Authors
  1. Richard L. Andersson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michaela Salajkova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Peter E. Mallon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Lars A. Berglund
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mikael S. Hedenqvist
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Richard T. Olsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard T. Olsson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Andersson, R.L., Salajkova, M., Mallon, P.E. et al. Micromechanical Tensile Testing of Cellulose-Reinforced Electrospun Fibers Using a Template Transfer Method (TTM). J Polym Environ 20, 967–975 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-012-0486-6

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-012-0486-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation