Cellulose Triacetate Optical Film Preparation from Ramie Fiber

A new route for the preparation of cellulose triacetate (CTA) optical films from the biomass of ramie fiber has been found with environmental benefits. CTA with a degree of substitution (DS) of 2.81−2.92 was prepared by the reaction of acetic anhydride with ramie fiber catalyzed by sulfuric acid in acetic acid solution at 55 °C. The CTA film was prepared by casting the solution of CTA dissolving in dichloromethane on the culture disk via spreading the solution through a syringe. The structure and properties of CTA and its film were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), ultraviolet (UV), X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and titration. It was found that the CTA films prepared from ramie fiber shows a high transparency of 89% and excellent mechanical properties with stress measurements of 31.04−47.80 MPa and strain of 3.99−5.22%. The CTA films prepared from ramie fiber are suitable as protective films for the liquid crystal displays (LCD).