Fabrication and Thermal Property of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane (POSS)/Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) Hybrids

Microcrystalline cellulose extracted from sisal fibers (SFMCC) and octa-aminopropyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS-NH2) were used to fabricate POSS/SFMCC hybrids through a simple cross-linking process with epichlorohydrin as the cross-linking agent. The chemical structure and morphology of hybrids are characterized with FTIR spectra, X-ray diffraction, and SEM. The results present that POSS-NH2 has been grafted onto the surface of SFMCC. The thermal property of hybrids has been improved with a 19 degrees C higher maximum thermal decomposition temperature than SFMCC, as measured by TGA and DSC. The residual mass of hybrids and SFMCC were 15.6wt% and 4.4wt% at 700 degrees C, respectively.