Melt processable cellulose fibres engineered for replacing oil-based thermoplastics
Journal article, 2023

If cellulosic materials are to replace materials derived from non-renewable resources, it is necessary to overcome intrinsic limitations such as fragility, permeability to gases, susceptibility to water vapour and poor three-dimensional shaping. Novel properties or the enhancement of existing properties are required to expand the applications of cellulosic materials and will create new market opportunities. Here we have overcome the well-known restrictions that impede melt-processing of high cellulose content composites. Cellulose fibres, partially derivatised to dialcohol cellulose, have been used to manufacture three-dimensional high-density materials by conventional melt processing techniques, with or without the addition of a thermoplastic polymer. This work demonstrates the use of melt processable chemically modified cellulose fibres in the preparation of a new generation of highly sustainable materials with tuneable properties that can be tailored for specific applications requiring complex three-dimensional parts.

Melt processing

Cellulose composite

Dialcohol cellulose

Ethylene acrylic acid copolymer

Author

Giada Lo Re

Chalmers, Industrial and Materials Science, Engineering Materials

Emile Engel

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Linnea Björn

Chalmers, Physics, Materials Physics

Manuel Guizar Sicairos

Paul Scherrer Institut

Marianne Liebi

Chalmers, Physics, Materials Physics

Paul Scherrer Institut

Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)

Jan Wahlberg

Tetra Pak

Katarina Jonasson

Tetra Pak

Per A. Larsson

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Chemical Engineering Journal

1385-8947 (ISSN)

Vol. 458 141372

PROcesses for DiAlcohol Cellulose PROduction - ProDAC

VINNOVA (2021-02094), 2021-11-01 -- 2024-08-31.

Subject Categories

Polymer Chemistry

Polymer Technologies

Composite Science and Engineering

Driving Forces

Sustainable development

Areas of Advance

Materials Science

DOI

10.1016/j.cej.2023.141372

More information

Latest update

1/26/2023