The team of academicians Yu Shuhong of the University of Science and Technology of China has developed a natural nanocellulose high-performance structural material. This new natural nanofiber bionic structural material integrates light weight, high strength, high dimensional stability, thermal shock resistance, impact resistance, and high damage tolerance Excellent performance. Its density is only one-sixth that of steel, and its specific strength and specific toughness surpass traditional alloy materials, ceramics and engineering plastics. Studies have shown that its superior characteristics mainly come from the design of micro-level layered structure and nano three-dimensional network structure. This new type of natural nano-cellulose high-performance structural material is expected to replace the existing engineering plastics and has a broad application prospect.
Nanofiber refers to a linear material with a certain length-to-diameter ratio that has a diameter of nanometer scale and a large length. In addition, the fibers modified by filling the nanoparticles with ordinary fibers are also called nanofibers. At present, nanofibers can be simply divided into three categories, cellulose nanocrystals, cellulose nanofibers or microcrystalline cellulose, bacterial nanocellulose and so on. At present, due to the advantages of wide source, degradable and non-pollution, nano cellulose has attracted the attention of many researchers.
In terms of bulletproof equipment, a South Korean company has developed a carbon nanotube cellulose using carbon nanotube dispersion technology. This material has a strength that exceeds that of steel and has soft cloth. It will be widely used in military bulletproof equipment in the future.
In terms of elastic materials, some scientists have used the dip coating method to create super amphiphilic polyurethane sponges through the synergy of nanocellulose and graphene. This sponge can quickly absorb water and oil in a short time, which provides a reference for the preparation of porous elastic materials and composite materials with special wetting properties, and is expected to be applied in the field of intelligent polymer composite materials.
In the medical field, due to the good biocompatibility of nanocellulose, it has good performance in areas such as wound antibacterial dressings and artificial grafts. Researchers have made artificial ears for transplantation based on the characteristics of nanocellulose hydrogels. This artificial ear can reconstruct the auricle for children with congenital auricle deformity, so that the deformed ear can be remedied without affecting hearing.
In terms of papermaking, Spanish scientific research experts used lignocellulose to carry out relevant experiments. After adding nanocellulose, paper can still be written after seven times of recycling. In contrast, ordinary recycled paper is not suitable for writing after three times of recycling . This means that the improvement of traditional paper recycling technology by nanofiber production technology can reduce energy consumption, not only improve product quality, but also facilitate resource reuse.
In the field of energy storage, researchers have prepared a porous structure that facilitates the transport of ions and electrons through the nanocellulose itself has good flexibility and mechanical properties. The porous structure can be combined with inorganic nanoparticles, metal ions and their oxides, carbon materials, conductive polymers and other optoelectronic materials through gelation to form a multifunctional composite material with conductive and energy storage effects.
Nanocellulose is derived from nature and is an environmentally friendly, green and extremely rich renewable resource. The application of nanotechnology to cellulose has opened a new door for the preparation of new materials in the field of science and technology. In the future, I believe that through the continuous research of scientists, nanofibers will bring more important effects to our lives while bringing new developments.