Chemical modification of cellulose in order to increase the wettability and adhesion in composites

A two steps process has been proposed to turn the hydrophilic character of surface cellulosic substrates for hydrophobic. Initially pure cellulose has been chemically modified with methacrylic anhydride and subsequently coated with polysterene by co-polymerisation process. Although the first step yielded modified cellulose with hydrophobic surface character, the polymerisation process increased that hydrophobic behaviour.