Advances in nanocellulose: Progress towards sustainable, high-performance materials
Imagine a material that can be harvested from vegetation, such as unused crops, or invasive weeds, and used for many of the same purposes as synthetic fibers, and plastics. Now imagine that this plant-based material can be broken down to its nano-scale components and reused again as the basis for sustainable, biodegradable products.
Nanocellulose fibers are a modern reality in advanced materials, with growing mainstream opportunities. In a recent review article, Tomas Rosén, and Daniel Söderberg, from the Royal Institute of Technology, with Benjamin Hsiao, from the University of Connecticut, described the engineering processes behind this technology. Their article in Advanced Materials reviews cutting-edge advances in producing and characterizing nanocellulose materials to allow for a new class of sustainable man-made biobased fibers with high-performance functionality.
Nanocellulose-based fibers are produced from cellulose, the main component of plants.
What are nanocellulose fibers?
Nanocellulose is a nano-scale material made from cellulose, the undigestible part of plants and trees – think of dietary fiber from plants, and wood from trees. With new technologies, nanocellulose can be distilled from all plants, and even bacteria, and used to create fibers and materials that form the building blocks for numerous products.
Nanocellulose-based fibers are unique because they are a man-made biobased material. Unlike natural fibers such as silk, cotton, or wool, they are manmade, which provides the advantage of industrial modification and characterization. Also, they are different than synthetic fibers, or plastics, which are made from oil or gas components, giving them the benefits of being non-toxic and biodegradable.
Through the increased use of cellulose as a basis for nanocellulose-based materials, it is possible to dramatically decrease the use of non-renewable, non-degradable, toxic materials.
About the cover: Imagining a renewable, biodegradable advanced material
The dynamic cover art for Rosen et al., by scientific illustrator, Isabel Romero Calvo, illustrates the concept of a renewable process transitioning from plants to nano-scale particles, to fibers, and lastly to biodegradable advanced materials.
Isabel’s 3D modeled artwork visually describes details of the material engineering process, including the cellulose starting material, distilled from plants. The bright light cutting across the cover illustrates fibril characterization using x-ray scattering.
X-ray scattering is used to characterize the nanocellulose fibers.
“I was inspired by these modern technologies to create this dynamic 3D cover illustrating the great potential of this science,” commented Isabel.
