Conversely, improved thermal stability of both AA-CNC/PLA and
LA-CNC-based nanocomposites relative to that of HCl-CNC/PLA is
likely due to the increased dispersion of the modified CNCs. The
increased dispersion of both AA- and LA-CNC in PLA is believe to
result from an increased compatibility between the modified CNCs
and the matrix. The relative dispersion of these three CNCs in PLA
matrices after melt blending is discussed below.