Nanocellulose-Based Polymer Nanocomposite: Isolation, Characterization and Applications

New and advanced properties and functions, including uniformity, durability, biodegradability and sustainability, are required for the next generation of cellulose-based products and their engineering applications. Nanosize cellulosic materials, a good candidate for the preparation of polymer nanocomposites, have been gaining a lot of attention due to their low cost, biodegradability, abundance, high strength, renewability and some other excellent properties. Advantages in the use of nanosize cellulosic materials are related not only to these properties; in fact, its dimensions in the nanometer scale, open a wide range of possible properties to be discovered. Nanosize cellulosic materials can be isolated from a variety of cellulosic sources including plants, animals (tunicates), bacteria and algae, and in principle could be extracted from almost any cellulosic material by using different procedures. However, the main challenges in the field are related to an efficient separation of nanosize cellulosic materials from natural resources. The noncompatible nature of nanocellulose with most polymers is also a crucial issue for its application in composites. In addition, the drying process of nanocellulose for application in polymer composite is another challenge. Last but not least, a process needs to be found for obtaining higher yield in nanocellulose isolation. All these challenges and drawbacks have become a strong driving force for discovering more efficient processes and technologies to produce nanocelluloses for application in nanocomposites, and for inventing new applications as well. This chapter will concentrate on the isolation of nanocellulose from various sources and its utilization for fabrication methods, its characterization, drying processes and modification. We will also concentrate our discussion on the application of nanoscale cellulosic materials in polymer nanocomposites.