Nanocellulose: An Overview on Its Production,

Properties and Potential Applications

L. M. College of Pharmacy. Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

RESEARCH STUDENT

Mehta Roshni Rajendra

M.Pharm (Pharmaceutics)

Dept. of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology

Gujarat Technological University

Email id:mehtaroshni1989@gmail.com

RESEARCH GUIDE

Dr. (Mrs.) Yamini Dushyant Shah

M. Pharm., Ph.D.(Associate Professor)

Dept. of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology

Email id:ydslmcp@gmail.com

1

Natural (Lignocellulosic) Fibers

Structure of the cell wall

Cellulose Structural material that confers its mechanicalproperties to higher plant cells

2

Examples Of Raw Materials From Which Cellulose Is Obtained

3

Nanocellulose

Cellulose Nano objects

Cellulose Nanocrystals

Cellulose Nanofibrils

Cellulose Nano structured Materials

Cellulose Microfibrils

Cellulose Nano

Composites

Nanocellulose Materials

4

Incentives For Manufacturing Industry

New source of raw materials with wide largely, unexplored range of application

New products

New business opportunities

Security of supply

Sustainable and renewable sources

Availability and price stability

Source of green materials

Reduced carbon foot print

Recyclable and Reusable

Compostable

Market Drivers

Green is the real value proposition for switching to nano crystalline cellulose-based

products composites must have bio-derived matrix polymers to be green5

6

Rheological

Modifiers

6%

Filtration

10%

Medicine

11%

Coatings

5%

Paper and Board

20%

Electronics

8%

Composites

36%

Aerogels

4%

2016

Potential Use of Nanocellulose

Source: Nanocellulose market study, Future Markets Inc, 2012.

Rheological

modifiers

5%

Filtration

8%

Medicine

6%

Coating

7%

Paper and board

21%

Electronics

4%

Composites

46%

Aerogels

3%2011

Towards Industrialization

7

Industry Country production processes Scale of process

Booregaard Norway 350 Kg/day Enzymatic MFC Pilot Plant

Stora Enso Ltd. Sweden n.a. Enzymatic MFC Pre-commercial

plant

Nippon Paper Japan n.a. Tempo treated MFC Pilot scale for tempo

treatment

BASF/Zelpho Germany n.a. n.a. Project launch in

2013

CelluComp UK n.a. NanoCellulose fibres from

root vegetables (e.g. carrots)

Start-up

Innventia* Sweden 100 Kg/day Enzymatic & Microfluidizer Pilot Plant / R&D

purpose only

FCBA/CTP* France 70 Kg/day Enzymatic & Microfluidizer Pilot Plant / R&D

purpose only

Univ Maine* USA 300 Kg/day Larger MFC Pilot Plant

EMPA* Swiss 15 kg/day Enzymatic & Microfluidizer Lab scale

VTT* Finland 15 kg/day Enzymatic pretreated with

Masuko grinder

Lab scale

Research

University

world < 0.05

Kg/day

(per lab)

Several possibilities Lab scale

Towards Industrialization

NC Manufacture Process

Milling

Steam Explosion

Ammonia Fiber

Explosion

CO2

Explosion

Alkaline

hydrolysis

Acid

hydrolysisOzonolysis

Organosolv.

TEMPO Oxidation

Enzymatic

treatment

Ionic Liquids

8

Corn Husk

Alkali Treatment

Bleaching

Acid Treatment

Bleaching

Purification (Centrifugation, Dialysis)

Sonication

Nanocellulose

Acid Alkali Hydrolysis of Cellulose

9

Acid

Hydrolysis

Alkali

Hydrolysis

Cellulose Nano fibrils

Cellulose Nano fibrils

Production of Nanocellulose

10

Cellulose Microfibrils

Mechanical process: Aqueous suspensions

11

Nano Cellulose (NC)

Details of the z-shaped interaction chamber of the microfluidizer (Microfluidics Inc., USA)

Ultra-fine friction grinder[http://www.masuko.com/English/product/Masscolloder.html]

12

NC Properties

Natural Sustainable nanomaterials

Green disposal/recycle at end of life

Biodegradable & biocompatible

Reduction in weight

Cost versus current material

High aspect ratios & high surface area

High strength & modulus

High thermal stability

Light weight

High water binding capability

Opportunities for chemical modification (surface OH)

13

14

NC Applications

Electronics Sensors Construction Filtration

Implants

Packaging

CompositesHydrogel

Paints & Coatings

Paper & Pulp

15

Characterization

FT-IR SPECTROSCOPY

Segal L, Creely JJ, Martin AE Jr, Conrad CM (1959) An empirical method for estimating the degree of crystallinity of native cellulose using

the x-ray diffractometer. Text Res J 29:786–794

Nano Cellulose-Avicel pH101

Nanocellulose- Corn husk

Nelson ML, O'Connor RT (1964) Relation of certain infrared bands to cellulose crystallinity and crystal lattice type II. A new infrared ratio for

estimation of crystallinity in cellulose I and II. J ApplPolymSci 8:1325–1341 16

Nanocellulose- Corn husk

XRD

Nano Cellulose-Avicel pH101

Crystallinity Index (%) : 81.83

Crystallinity Index (%) : 86.55

17

DSC

Sain M, Panthapulakkal S (2006) Bioprocess preparation of wheat straw fibres and their characterisation. Ind Crops Products 23:1–8

Nano Cellulose-Avicel pH101

Nanocellulose- Corn husk

Particle Size Analysis

18

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Particle Size Analysis Stability Data

Conclusions

Our research product shall be utilized further in making new drug delivery

systems, co-processed excipients, composite materials and parenteral dosage

forms after performing stability studies

Growing interest in both the non-food usage of renewable resources and

nanosized particles

Polysaccharides : low cost materials, abundance, renewability,

Preparation of nanoparticles with different morphologies and aspect ratios

Nanosized particles : mechanical properties (strength, modulus,

dimensional stability), decreased permeability to gases and water,

Thermal stability

Melt processing of nanocellulose based nanocomposites is challenging

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