Background

   It is urgent to build a sustainable society through effective utilization of recyclable resources due to exhaustion of petroleum resources and environmental problems.

Objectives

   New high-performance materials made of woody biomass as a recyclable resource are developed and used as a substitute for petroleum-based products.

Overview

   Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) obtained from wood (several tens nm in diameter) are expected to be applied because they are light in weight and exhibit excellent mechanical properties. However, CNF has poor dispersibility because of its strong cohesiion force, which limits its use. By coating CNF with polymer crystal, we improved dispersibility and realized high performance. The method is highly unique and utilizes self-assembly (crystallization) of a polymer, requires no special apparatus, and has a low environmental load.

URL

http://achem.okayama-u.ac.jp/polymer/flow-uchida.html