ABOUT CELLULOSE (CELLOPHANE)

Cellulose, a structural polysaccharide, is the most represented polymer on Earth and is the main support for trees and other plants. In addition to higher plants, acetic acid bacteria also synthesize cellulose. Bacteria-synthesized cellulose has great potential within the packaging industry, but it needs more efficient processing technologies for production.

The first industrial polymers (celluloid, cellophane) were based on cellulose. To produce bio-composite products and improve mechanical properties and hydrophobicity, cellulose fibers were then used as matrices for biodegradable polymer composites. Cellulose fibers have also been mixed with starch to achieve improved mechanical properties, gas permeability, and water resistance.

NANOCELLULOSE

Nanocellulose is nano-structured cellulose. It utilizes nanotechnology to manipulate cellulose at the nanoscale. Nanocellulose includes cellulose nanofibers (CNF), microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), and bacterial nanocellulose. It has been around since the early 1980s.

Nanocellulose is a material derived from wood fibers. It has exceptional strength that is on par with that of Kevlar, a lightweight material used to manufacture high-strength, durable materials. However, in contrast to Kevlar and other materials based on fossil fuels, nanocellulose is completely renewable. [citation T2.9, T2.10, T2.11, T2.30]