Flexible Dielectric Hybrid Composites Based Polybutylene Adipate-co-Terephthalate: Influence of the Content of Microcrystalline Cellulose Enrobed with Cellulose Acetate

MCC fibers have been extruded with CA (20 wt.%) and PBAT. Neat PBAT (n-PBAT) and PBAT-based Hybrid specimens were produced through thermocompression. The FT-IR analyses revealed the development of hydrogen bonds and the formation of aggregates with the increasing MCC content. Morphological investigations ascertained that MCC in PBAT/MCC₃₀ showed discernible longitudinal microfibrils, while in the Hybrid 30 those microfibrils were entirely covered with a greyish-parma substance which was identified as the CA polymer. This was further proven by thermogravimetric analyses where the temperature difference between T_max,1 (364 ± 1 ℃) of CA coating MCC particles in the Hybrid 30 and T_max,1 (345 ± 3 ℃) of MCC particles in PBAT/MCC₃₀ is equal to ~20 ℃; thereby indicating that the thermal stability of Hybrid 30 MCC particles is increased because of the CA effective enrobing functionality. All dielectric constants were found between 2.5 and 3.5. These values are comparable with the low permittivity values of polyolefins. These materials present a potential for the development of biobased electric cable sheaths, electronic packagings, and electronic toothbrushes or combs.