Lignocellulosic Based Bionanocomposites for Different Industrial Applications

Increased awareness to eco-friendliness and finite petroleum resources trigger growing interest in maximizing the use of low environmental impact and renewable materials. In the last decades, lignocellulosic based materials at the nanoscale level have attracted the attention of research and industry, due to their renewable nature and their abundant availability, their high reactivity surface and functionality, their low density and cost. The exceptional physical properties, combined with high aspect ratio and large surface area allow their use in a large variety of polymers at low concentration as compared to composite loading. Recently, in this context, nanocomposite approach was largely investigated as a strategy to upgrade the functional and structural properties of synthetic/ traditional and/or natural polymers, in addition, the combination of sustainable and bioresorbable polymers with bio-based nanofiller opened new perspectives in the self-assembly of nanomaterials for different sectors with tunable thermal, mechanical and degradative properties. In this review article, the addition of lignocellulosic reinforcement phases (lignin and cellulosic-based nanofillers) and their combined effect on physical, functional and structural properties of different polymers (including thermoplastic and thermosetting) were reported and discussed. Considering the required functionality, the role of cellulose and lignin-based nanostructures when embedded in different biopolymers was analyzed and summarized here in terms of different effect (microstructural, thermal-degratative, optical, mechanical, chemical, biological, barrier and degradative characteristics).