Development of Novel Nanocomposites and Nanostructured Cellulose Fibers (NANOFIBER)

Important results from the project

The main goal of this NANOFIBER project is to develop continuous nanostructured cellulose fibers from forest resource using different manufacturing processes. The secondary goal is to use these fibers as reinforcements in advanced structural composites for transport and construction products. The research on nanocellulosic materials is in developing phase to create next generation environmental friendly materials with excellent properties for different applications. This project idea is that nanostructured continuous fibers - with excellent mechanical and thermal properties and low weight compared to synthetic fibers - can be synthesized by combining cellulose nanocrystals and nanofibers extracted from wood using both a top down and a bottom up approach. The nature has created components with very high strength and stiffness for different uses. The structural parts in plants/animals and even in human being have a quite similar structure. As example the microstructures of wood and bone are very similar with the difference that wood consist mainly of cellulose and bone of mineralized protein. Building blocks of wood are cells (fibers) which have a composite laminate structure, containing microfibrils which are oriented in different direction inside the cell wall. Microfibrils are bundles of elementary nanofibers, which are built up of amorphous and crystalline cellulose. These components can be isolated from wood cell wall and be utilized as reinforcement in different biopolymers. In this work the aim is to use these building blocks to reinforce fibers which are based on natural polymers to form continuous fibers. New composite processes for green composites will be developed using the nanostructures continuous fibers as reinforcements and green polymer resins as matrix.

Expected long term effects

Successful results of NANOFIBER will have strong impacts on different industrial sectors, also this innovative technology will bring nanocelluloses to the industrial use. The primary sectors are forest and manufacturer industries but also sectors as packaging and medical applications will have benefit of developed nanostructured composite fibers and composites.

Approach and implementation

Separation processing of wood nanocelluloses Development of continuous nanostruktured fibers Development of green composites using nanostructured fibers as reinforcements and a biobased polymer resin as matrix material