Preparation and Characterization of Jute Cellulose Crystals-Reinforced Poly(L-lactic acid) Biocomposite for Biomedical Applications

Crystalline cellulose was extracted from jute by hydrolysis with 40% H 2 SO 4 to get mixture of micro/nanocrystals. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed the microcrystalline structure of cellulose and XRD indicated the I β polymorph of cellulose. Biodegradable composites were prepared using crystalline cellulose (CC) of jute as the reinforcement (3–15%) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as a matrix by extrusion and hot press method. CC was cellulose derived from mercerized and bleached jute fiber by acid hydrolysis to remove the amorphous regions. FT-IR studies showed hydrogen bonding between the CC and the PLA matrix. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies showed that the percentage crystallinity of PLA in composites was found to be higher than…