| abstract |
Composite materials including cellulose nanocrystals incorporated into a polymer aerogel scaffold, wherein the cellulose nanocrystals serve as a reinforcement agent to result in the formation of less dense aerogels, improve the tensile mechanical properties of aerogel films, and reduce aerogel shrinkage upon thermal exposure. After gelation, the gel is dried via a suitable method such as supercritical CO 2 extraction, freeze drying or other method, to produce the CNC/polymer composite aerogel. Properties of the composite aerogel can be tailored via surface modification of the cellulose nanocrystals as well as through the backbone structure of the polymer. |