Cellulose nanocrystals from banana fiber: extraction and application in dental materials

The high aspect ratio and surface reactivity of cellulose nanocrystals (NCC) make its application quite versatile as a reinforcement particle, due to the potential to chemically modify its surface. Considering this context and the abundance of plant fibers from Brazilian agribusiness, the objective of this work was to develop NCC extraction strategies from a lignocellulosic source abundant in Santa Catarina, banana tree fiber, and functionalize its surface with γ methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) and evaluate its compatibility with methacrylate polymers, commonly used in dental materials. Thus, the NCC were extracted under different conditions according to a 23 factorial design with a central point to establish the optimized conditions. Nanocomposites containing 0.5 and 2.0% of NCC in methacrylate polymer indicate a significant increase in microhardness and elastic modulus, as a result of the compatibilization caused by MPS. (author)