In this study cellulose nanofibers prepared by acid hydrolysis,
raw or silane treated, were used as reinforcement for PLA. Thermal
properties of PLA and PLA modified with cellulose nanofibers
were deeply investigated and the DSC results correlated well with
morphological features observed by advanced AFM techniques.
Crystalline grains consisting of inclined stacks of PLA lamellae
including both endothermic
peaks, remained almost unchanged compared to the first temperature
cycle (Table 2). Similar behavior relating to the degree of
crystallinity and the variation of the characteristic temperatures
(Tg and Tm) were observed in this second heating run.