By treating cellulose materials such as plants, tunicates and agriculture biomass with concentrated acids (acid hydrolysis), the amorphous regions can be broken up, thereby producing nano-sized cellulose-based crystals called nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) or cellulose nanocrystals (CNC).
CNC are elongated, rigid and rod-like or whisker-shaped particles with a rectangular cross-section. These materials can be prepared from any cellulose source materials including wood pulp, recycled paper and paperboard, cotton fibres, hemp, flax, bamboo, sugarcane bagasse and other agro-biomass. CNC that are derived from wood pulp and have dimensions of approximately 5 nanometers (nm) in diameter and 150-200 nanometers in length. Larger crystals can be produced using cotton (10 nm by 500 nm) or algae (20 nm by 1000nm).
CNCs possess many desirable properties such as high surface area, hydroxyl groups for functionalization, colloidal stability, low toxicity, chirality and mechanical strength. CNC is:
- Lighter than aluminum
- Stiffer than Kevlar
- Higher strength than steel
Published March 4 2019 | 19 pages
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 TYPES OF NANOCELLULOSE…………………………………………………. 5
- 1.1 What are cellulose nanocrystals………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5
2 PROPERTIES OF CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS……………………… 7
- 2.1 High aspect ratio……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7
- 2.2 High strength………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
- 2.3 Rheological properties…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
- 2.4 Optical properties…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8
- 2.5 Barrier…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
3 APPLICATIONS OF CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS………………….. 9
4 CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTAL PRODUCERS…………………………… 11 (7 producer profiles)
5 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………. 17
TABLES
- Table 1. Nanocellulose properties………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5
FIGURES
- Figure 1. NCC suspension TEM…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
- Figure 2. CNC slurry…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9
- Figure 3. An iridescent biomimetic cellulose multilayer film remains after water that contains cellulose nanocrystals evaporates………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10
- Figure 4. NCCTM Process………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14
- Figure 5. Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNC) pilot plant…………………………………………………………………………………… 15
