Renewable nanocellulose fiber for bullet-proof clothing

摘要

Nanocellulose is a material derived from wood fibers. It has exceptional strength characteristics on a par with Kevlar, a lightweight material used to manufacture high-strength, durable materials. However, in contrast to Kevlar and other materials based on fossil fuels, nanocellulose is completely renewable. Previously, the production process was too energy-intensive to make the commercialization of nanocellulose a viable option. However, recent process developments at the Swedish research institute on forest raw materials Innventia AB, Stockholm, have enabled energy consumption to be reduced by a total of 98%, representing a saving of 29,000 kWh/ton. By comparison, heating a normal sized house requires approximately 18,000 kWh/year.