Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and potential packaging
applications– Agne Swerin
Packbridge research forum, May 18, 2016, Malmö, Sweden
IPCCS 2015 – the 9th International
Paper and Coating Chemistry Symposium
October 29 – November 1, 2015, Tokyo, Japan
Agne Swerin
[email protected]
Outline
 SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden – part of RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
 Nanocellulose
 Cellulose nanofibres (CNF), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), bacterial nanocellulose (BNC)
 CNC – process and properties
 CNC – potential packaging applications
 Packaging materials – search and replace to become 100 % biobased
 Integrated functionalities – foamed structures, sensor/actuators, flexible displays
 Optoelectronics – enable truly new functions of the package
 Conclusion
WE CREATE VALUE THROUGH COLLABORATION
INDUSTRY
UNIVERSITIES
COLLEGES
SP is a leading international group of institutes that specialise in research and innovation.
We create value through collaboration, which is vitally important for the competitiveness and
sustainable development of industry.
The Need for novel biobased materials
 Novel materials with superior performance from renewable resources as alternative to
fossil oil based materials
 Key requirements of the new materials
 High technical performance
 Competitive cost
 Renewable resources
 Sustainable production
www.melodea.eu
Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)
 Cellulose is the natural building blocks of all plants
on earth
 Stronger than steel!
 Transparent nano particle gel
 Excellent for production of novel eco-friendly
materials
Material
Tensile
strength
(GPa)
Young’s
modulus
(GPa)
CNC
7.5
145
Steel
4.1
207
Kevlar
3.8
130
Glass fiber
4.8
86
www.melodea.eu
Kim et al. International Journal of Precision Engineering and
Manufacturing-Green Technology 2015
CNC Production Technology
 Based on (but not limited to) Melodea developed unique technology that allows efficient and sustainable extraction of CNC
from cellulosic material
Cellulosic raw materials: wood
pulp, paper waste, flax, cotton
and more
Chemical processing
CNC product 
applications
 Unique process to include recycling of up to 95% of the chemicals, saving costs, and minimizing the environmental
production impact
www.melodea.eu
How is CNC produced?
www.melodea.eu
What can CNC be used for?
www.melodea.eu
Foams for composites
and insulation panels
Reinforcing of paper and
paperboard
Displays
NCC films for coatings
and optical properties
Gas barrier aluminum replacement in food packaging
Reinforcing of acrylic
polymers
Additive to plastics
(biobased and synthetic)
Additive to coating
and barriers materials
Reinforcement in
cement
Oil and gas drilling
stabilizer
The CNC Pilot Plant
Large volumes - applications tests in full
scale
Melodea process technology
TEM
Open and neutral environment applications
Commissioning planned late 2016
Pilot plant – core of a new innovation
infrastructure
Norström, SP, 2016
CNC is part of a large Swedish effort in Bioeconomy
 A significant part of the productive forest assets in Europe are located in Sweden
 Research activities in the bioeconomy area are mainly wood-based
 RISE Research Institutes of Sweden is a major player in the bioeconomy with a
combined annual turnover of 800 million SEK (85 M€)
 “Road map 2015 to 2025: New advanced materials from nanocellulose” has been
drafted and launched, see www.ri.se
 One out of total eight roadmaps in the Bioeconomy area
Roadmap on nanocellulose
 Platform for large-scale
demonstration of the
manufacturing of sustainable
nanocellulose-based materials
from Swedish forest resources
by the year 2025
 Improve sustainability and
contribute to the creation of
new job opportunities in
Sweden
TR L
PRODUCTS
9
8
PILOTS
7
6
TEST BEDS
5
2013
2015
2017
2019
2021
2023
2025
Outline
 SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden – part of RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
 CNC – process and properties
 CNC – potential packaging applications
 Packaging materials – to search and replace to become 100 % biobased
 Integrated functionalities – foamed structures, sensor/actuators, flexible displays
 Optoelectronics (also called optronics) – enable truly new functions of the package
 Conclusion
Nanocellulose coatings on board
Reference
2010-12-02
14
1 g/m2 MFC
www.innventia.com
© 2014
Mikael Ankerfors,
Innventia
AB 14
Source: Aulin, C., Gällstedt, M., Lindström, T. (2010). Cellulose 17, 559-574.
1.8 g/m2 MFC
Oxygen permeability data for MFC films and literature values for some renewable
and synthetic polymers.
Material
Oxygen permeability (cm3
Conditions
μm)/(m2 day kPa)
MFC (carboxymethylated)
0.0006
present study,0%
RH
MFC (carboxymethylated)
0.85
present study,
50% RH
MFC (not pre-treated)
3.52-5.03
50% RH
TEMPO-oxidized nanocellulose
0.004
0% RH
O-acetylgalactoglucomannan
2.0
50% RH
Whey protein-glycerol (3:140-330
50% RH
0.8:1)
Amylose-glycerol (2.5:1)
7
50% RH
Amylopectin-glycerol (2.5:1)
14
50% RH
Chitosan-glycerol (2:1)
0.04-0.08
0% RH
65% Glucuronoxylan / 35%
0.21
50% RH
xylitol
Arabinoxylan
2
50% RH
Polyvinylalcohol (PVOH)
0.20
0% RH
Poly(ethylene-terephthalate)
10-50
50% RH
PET
Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)
184
0% RH
Polypropylene (PP)
494-987
50% RH
Polystyrene (PS)
987-1481
50% RH
Ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)
0.01-0.1
0% RH
Source: Aulin and Lindström ”Biopolymer coatings.. Chapter 12 in”Biopolymers-New materials for sustainable films and coatings”, Ed. D. Placket, Wiley, 2011
2016-05-23
15
www.innventia.com © 2014  15
Oxygen and water vapour permeability of various materials
Source: Aulin and Lindström ”Biopolymer coatings.. Chapter 12 in”Biopolymers-New materials for sustainable films and coatings”, Ed. D. Placket, Wiley, 2011
www.innventia.com © 2014  16
CNC – cellulose nanocrystals have unique properties
 Acid hydrolysis to achieve CNC produces a material which has properties common to
other nanocelluloses but also unique ones
200 nm
www.melodea.eu
From Gray, Marcus Wallenberg prize in 2013 lecture
From Gray, Marcus Wallenberg prize in 2013 lecture
Chiral nematic liquid crystalline phases – what is this?
www.wikipedia.com
Some terminology
 Iridescent
 colour changes as the angle of view or the angle of illumination
changes
 Chiral
 Mirror image materials or molecules
 Pitch
 Distance over which the LC molecules undergo a full 360° twist
(chiral nematic phase repeats itself every half-pitch)
 Nematic
 ’thread-like’ – alignment in liquid crystals, such as in LCD
 Liquid crystal
 Matter in a state that has properties between those of
conventional liquid and those of solid crystal
 Bragg’s law
 2d sinθ=nλ (n positive integer and λ wavelength of light)
www.wikipedia.com
Biopolymer (CNC) templating to employ unique properties
MacLachlan, Hamad et al. (2013), Biopolymer Templated Glass with a Twist: Controlling the
Chirality, Porosity, and Photonic Properties of Silica with Cellulose Nanocrystals, Advanced
Functional Materials
Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) – some potential packaging applications
 CNC has unique properties that open up for many potential packaging applications
 Films and barriers
 Strength additive and binder
 Foamed structures
 Integrated functionalities
 Some are common to all types of nanocelluloses, some are unique to CNC, e.g.
 Chiral nematic liquid crystallinity
 Optoelectronic properties
 Acknowledgement to Derek Gray at McGill, Wadood Hamad at UBC, Markus Norström at SP,
Mats Stading at SP and Tom Lindström at Innventia for inspiration and courtesy of some slides