Nanocellulose as reinforcement for biobased and biodegradable materials
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | FineCell Sweden AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 529 000 |
| Project duration | December 2019 - April 2021 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | The strategic innovation programme Bioinnovation |
| Call | Key Enabling Technologies for Biobased Products - joint call Sweden-Finland |
Purpose and goal
The TRL of using FineCell´s microcellulose in bio-based composites has, through the project, increased from 4 to 6, this has been done by, together with the Finnish parties, manufacturing and evaluating composites containing FineCell´s microcellulose and bio-PBS. To evaluate the commercial potential both the market and the needs of hte market have been analyzed, this allow us to identify suitable applications for the prepared materials. In addition, the impact of the materials on the environment has been analyzed.
Expected results and effects
The composite materials obtained during the project had properties that were comparable to polypropylene, the most widely used plastic today. In addition to the mechanical properties, a good biological degradation was observed in a natural environment. This means that the developed material has good potential for use in niche products which have a high risk of ending up in nature.
Planned approach and implementation
FineCell and the Finnish partners, Elastopoli and All-plast, represent a large part of the value chain for composite materials, in addition, Elastopoli and All-plast are industrial actors in the industry. This has made it possible to make in-depth analyzes of market needs and demand in order to analyze the potential of the technology. In addition to this, it has been possible in an industrially relevant environment to evaluate FineCell´s technology in composite materials.