Products are now on the market incorporating nanocellulose and production has moved to a commercial scale globally.
Since their first isolation in 1940s by Randy, nanocellulose materials have attracted the interest of the materials research community. In the 1980s, Turbark succeeded in producing microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), leading to further interest in these materials.1 With the huge drive for green manufacturing and products, companies are becoming more focused on the use of sustainable materials from renewable resources, leading to the recent global interest in nanocellulose. This upsurge in interest is due to their renewability and biodegradability coupled with their outstanding properties. The “nanocellulose” industry is now producing products that will increasingly find their way into consumer goods over the next decade. Today there is a substantial amount of research on nanocellulose and production is underway with the construction of multi-ton capacity manufacturing facilities, mainly in North American, Japan and Europe.
Types of nanocellulose produced
Nanocellulose is a generic term used to refer to cellulose-based nanomaterials. There are three main domains of nanocelluosic materials.
NanoFibrillar Cellulose (NFC)
Also referred to as cellulose nanofibers (CNF) or microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). MFC is both a distinct product and also categorized along with NFC by a number of companies. NFC is by far the most widely produced nanocellulose material.
NanoCrystalline Cellulose (NCC)
Also referred to as cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). Commercial scale production of NCC has not yet been achieved and is currently on a pilot scale.
Bacterial cellulose (BC)
Refers to nanostructured cellulose produced by certain bacterias. Also referred to as bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) or microbial cellulose.
NFC can be considered “spaghetti-like;” and NCC is more “rice-like”.
Global production
Production of nanocellulose has, until the past 18 months, been on the lab scale, in kilogram batches. Most producers now supply sample batches in multi-ton quantities for industry and research. Manufacturing facilities have or are being built worldwide with multiple tons per day capacities. NFC is the most widely produced types in these facilities. Current production capacity far exceeds the market demand at present, but this is likely to change as prices drop in the next few years. Producers have already begun to produce additives that are competitive with conventional polymer composites (e.g. carbon fibers).
NanoFibrillar Cellulose (NFC) production
NFC is produced in pilot and commercial volumes. Companies producing commercial volumes that are available for incorporating into products include:
USA
- American Process
- Kruger Bioproducts, Inc.
- Paperlogic
- Performance Biofilaments, Inc.
Europe
- Cellucomp
- Imerys
- Zelfo Technology
Japan
- Asahi Kasei
- Chuetsu Pulp & Paper
- Daicel Corporation
- DKS Co.Ltd.
- Daio Paper Corporation
- DIC Corporation
- Nippon Paper Industries.
- Sugino Machine
- Tokushu Tokai Paper
A number of Japanese producers have plans to greatly increase their production capacities in 2016, due to the success of recent NFC product launches in Asia.
Companies with plans for commercial scale facilities in 2016 include:
- Borregaard Chemcell
- Oji Holdings
- SAPPI
- Seiko PMC
Pilot scale producers include:
- EMPA
- Innventia
- Inofib
- University of Maine
- US Forest Service FPL
- VTT.
NanoCrystalline Cellulose (NCC) production
NCC production is currently on a pilot scale. Producers include:
- Alberta Innovates
- Blue Goose Biorefineries, Inc.
- Celluforce
- FPInnovations
- India Council for Agricultural Research
- MoRe Research
- US Forest Service (FPL).
Products on the market
In October 2015, Nippon Paper industries launched the “Hada Care Acty” series adult diapers incorporating CNF deodorant sheets. The company process, TEMPO catalytic oxidation method, was developed by the research group of Prof. Akira Isogai of The University of Tokyo. It allows for high concentrations of metal ions and metallic nanoparticles to be attached to the surface of CNFs. The company manufacture sheets of CNF incorporating a large amount of metal ions that generate deodorant and antibacterial effects. Due to the success of the product the company plans to increased production to 300 tons/year in fiscal year 2016.
References
1. http://www.osti.gov/scitech/biblio/5062478
