Microfibrillation destroys the original bundles of cellulose fibers in plants, and creates a new structure consisting of tiny interconnected microfibrils. Microfibrillar cellulose has been under investigation since the 1980s for use in a wide variety of products.

The Kyoto team developed a process to untie the bundles in solution so the individual cellulose fibers could be packed even closer together, resulting in a material with even greater strength.

Hardened into a sheet, these cellulose fibers become a material that is as strong as aluminum alloy, but just half the weight. If the fibers are mixed with phenol resin and hardened, they become a material that responds like magnesium alloy when subjected to a distorting force. This material could be used in place of soft steel for building frames, despite being one-fifth the weight of soft steel.

Resources:

• Nanostructured Cellulose Products