Cellulose Nanofibre (CNF) - World's Most Advanced Biomass Material.

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 Since the beginning of human existence, materials have been fundamental to the development of society. Few materials had been so important for the development of society that those eras are named after materials like the Stone Age, Copper Age, Bronze Age, etc as they were in extensive use in those times due to their availability. Nowadays all different types of materials, structural and building materials such as metals, ceramics, and polymers are the most widely used 

Cellulose nanofibers are linear polymer, which exhibits high stiffness and strength (Young's modulus of CNF is up to 130GPa) due to the extensive inter-and intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the molecules. CNF has a diameter of about 3 nm and lengths in the micron-scale showing both crystalline and amorphous sections They are extremely thin fibres. They have a very unique type of viscosity, to be transparent, lightweight, and strong durable, and to change very little in shape due to temperature variations. Cellulose nanofiber is the world's most advanced biomass material. As the material is derived from plant fibers, it creates a low environmental impact on its production and disposal. It has few outstanding characteristics, it is lightweight, has an elastic modulus comparable to that of high-strength aramid fiber, exhibits thermal expansion as low as glass, and presents high barrier properties with respect to oxygen and other gases. Low thermal expansion coefficient is a very important property for materials in many application areas, especially for aerospace and space craft building applications. The high mechanical and structural properties that nanocellulose induces to composites are related to the rigid network of nanocrystals in which the tension transfer is facilitated by hydrogen bonds between the nanoparticles and are also due to the morphology of the crystals that present a high aspect ratio, in particular, when they are obtained in the form of nanowhiskers. Due to its morphology and characteristic physical properties, cellulose nanofiber is seen as a promising material for use in a variety of industrial uses like filter material high gas barrier packaging material, electronic devices, foods, medicine, paints, cosmetics, CNFs as a new environmentally friendly material will be widely used in many areas such as reinforcement of polymers, energy production and its storage, protection of environment and healthcare. 

The production of Cellulose nanofibres (CNF) is now happening at industrial scale, with numerous large paper manufacturers establishing multi-ton facilities for increasing the production. Japanese chemicals and paper  manufacturers have also initiated cellulose nanofiber production facilities. Facilities have also been established in the Scandinavian part of Europe, Canada, and the United States. Japan is now the highest producer as well as the consumer of the CNF. There are many companies in Japan producing CNFs, here is a list of them -

Asahi KaseiC 

DaicelCorporation

ChuetsuPulp & PaperD

Daio Paper Corporation

DIC Corporation

Nippon Paper Industries

Seiko PMC

Sugino Machine.

Marusumi Paper Co,.Ltd

 One such Japanese manufacturer is Marusumi Paper Co., Ltd. They have been using it to produce paints materials, cosmetics, optical sheets, gel (of different viscosity), automobile composites, etc. The CNFs which they produce have a light transmittance of 99.4% (which shows how transparent the material is) and a haze value of 2.3%. 


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