Preparation of polyaniline/cellulose nanocrystal composite and its application in surface coating of cellulosic paper

Imparting electro-conductivity to cellulosic paper may allow this conventional material to hold great promise for a wide range of applications. In this work, polyaniline/cellulose nanocrystal (PANI/CNC) composite was prepared via emulsion polymerization and subsequently used as a conductive and reinforcing pigment for paper coating fabrication. Initially, the microstructure and properties of the fabricated PANI/CNC composite were comprehensively characterized. Furthermore, the effect of the PANI/CNC composite on the properties of paper coatings and coated paper was systematically investigated. The results showed that the viscosity and viscoelasticity of paper coatings were increased as a function of the PANI/CNC composite addition. Meanwhile, the increased CNC ratio in PANI/CNC composite led to the decreased viscosity and viscoelasticity of paper coatings. Furthermore, surface coating application was found to impart desired electro-conductivity and enhanced mechanical properties to coated paper. Compared to the coated paper without PANI/CNC composite, the coated paper with 4 wt% CNC added PANI/CNC composite maintained an electro-conductivity of 4.0 S·m−1 and exhibited increases of 14.6%, 30.7% in tensile index and folding strength, respectively. In particular, the electro-conductivity and mechanical properties of coated paper were also enhanced with the increased ratio of CNC in PANI/CNC composite.