Nano fibres & lignin from tree cellulose
Nippon, owners of the Eden woodchip mill and the Maryvale pulp and paper factory that makes Reflex paper, recently announced it will be building a cellulose nano-fibers production facility using wood pulp as the raw material. These fibres are supposed to have special qualities like high elasticity, barrier performance to gas, including oxygen, can be used as reinforcements and thickeners. Nippon says that being from plant fibres, they are eco-friendly.
Read about the announcement at http://www.4-traders.com/news/Nippon-Paper-Group-Inc-Nippon-Paper-Indust…
There is also excitement in the industry for using lignin in wood cellulose for the chemical industry. They have properties for use in phenolic resins, surfactants, epoxy resins, adhesives, polyester and so on. Oh – and of course they’re also eco-friendly. They say there are 300 Billion tonnes out there to be had. But they say biofuel development is competing for trees, attention and government support.
Read more here