Oil-palm based nanocellulose reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane for plastic encapsulation of biomedical sensor devices: Water absorption, thickness swelling and density properties

Abstract

Oil palm nanocellulose has been demonstrated to display a wide range of unique properties for many fields. They are suitable for biomedical applications and have been used in this domain for decades. The current variety of nanocellulose fibers allows the development of new nanocomposites. This work fabricated oil palm nanocellulose with variations of fiber loading (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 wt%) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) polymer matrix by using a mechanical stirring followed by hot pressing methods. The physical characters of nanocellulose oil palm reinforced TPU nanocomposites, such as water absorption, thickness swelling, and density were characterized. The fiber loading of oil palm nanocellulose content at 5 wt% shows the highest water uptake, thickness swelling, and the lowest density properties of oil palm nanocellulose reinforced TPU nanocomposites.