Program 3: Fibres and fibre nanotechnology (2019 – 2023)

Utilization of cellulose rich fibres and liberated Cellulose Nano Fibrils (CNFs) is at the core of the research activities in this project. The main source of cellulose is wood and isolation of cellulose from wood yields a cellulose material with a porous nanostructure; a nanomaterial with vast possibilities for further modification and processing into super-strong filaments from CNFs, new lightweight insulation materials, 3D-printed functional filters, photocatalytic and piezoelectric devices, textiles, strong and stiff hydrogels, fibre-based nanocomposites, printed electronics, drug-delivery systems, tailored sorption systems to name a few. CNFs, liberated or in the form of a porous fibre wall, interacts strongly with water and have a complex colloidal behaviour that is not yet fully understood. Keeping the CNFs in the form of a fibre presents a great advantage; processing cellulose into new modern materials with unique properties typically involves water, and fibres are more easily handled and de-watered than liberated CNFs. Keys to open processing routes for new advanced materials are the production of suitable starting materials that can be fully characterized and modelled with respect to their nanostructure. The research program focuses on three major areas that are cross-disciplinary collaborations between several project partners:

• New methods for creating an open fibre structure using new ways of mechanical treatments in combination with changing physical states will be developed.
• A continued development of our fundamental insight in the colloidal behaviour of nanocelluloses and their interactions, in both fibre form and liberated CNFs.
• Modification of the interior of the fibre wall to create new interactive devices and IPN composites.