Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Cellulose Filaments, a form of nanocellulose composed of long, thin fibrils, can play a significant industrial role in the construction and packaging sectors. Addition of Cellulose Filaments to concrete pastes offers significant strength reinforcement and stand-alone translucent Cellulose Filaments films provide a recyclable, repulbable and biodegradable alternative to single-use plastic films. Although well-established at the laboraratory scale, the full industrial deployment of Cellulose Filaments is hindered by logistics and technological challenges. The production of stand alone Cellulose Filaments films suffers from the high specific surface of the filaments, which drastically reduce drainage. Innovative papermaking techniques and methods are thus required to reach peak efficiency. The logistic problem stems from the production process itself. After production, Cellulose Filaments batches contain up to 70% water, an amount which cannot be decreased through conventional dewatering techniques. Such an amount of water considerably increases transportation costs to potential users. This logistic problem could however be solved by the production of dry re-dispersible films on a conventional papermachine. The goal of this Applied Research and Development proposal is thus to evaluate the potential of cellulose filaments, with and without drainage agents, to produce a thin 100% re-dispersible film on Innofibre’s pilot paper machine.