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Canadian innovations are leading the way in the commercialization and industrial production of nanocellulose.

In the race to develop products that can either be fully reused or that can biodegrade reasonably quickly, the work of Emily Cranston, a UBC Forestry Prof. in the Department of Wood Science, is accelerating breakthroughs in biodegradable alternatives to petrochemical-based materials, such as plastics.

The President’s Excellence Chair in Forest BioProducts and a member of the UBC BioProducts Institute, Emily is among the leading thinkers in novel methods to produce and use nanocellulose from wood pulp. Her research has the potential to support the development of environmentally friendly plastics, biomedical devices, adhesives and electronic components, among others, with a goal to reduce waste and global carbon emissions that are contributing to climate change.

“My research deconstructs wood to get at its building blocks, isolating such things as its strongest components, or extractives with antimicrobial and antioxidant prodperties, for use in new structures and materials,” says Emily. “Down the line, we hope to transform these nanocellulose-based materials into high-value commercial bioproducts.”

Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer on Earth, and constitutes around 50% of the components of wood. Polymers are chains of repeating, smaller chemical units. For example, cellulose consists of repeating units of glucose, made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Polymers have unique characteristics and more versatility than many other compounds.

Emily’s fundamental research uses both cellulose nanocrystals and cellulose nanofibrils to push the boundaries of possibility.

Nanocellulose is derived using chemical or mechanical processes. For example, acid hydrolysis can be used to cleave apart chemical bonds within ellulose to produce rigid, rice-like cellulose nanocrystals. In addition, the process of mechanical disintegration is used to extract pliable, spaghetti-like cellulose nanofibrils.

“The nanocellulose that emerges when biomass is broken down to its simplest parts can be activated and reconstructed to produce virtually any type of material for a broad range of commercial applications, including those where plastics have traditionally been used,” explains Emily.

Dental varnishes are among the many nanocellulose-based materials that Emily and her graduate students are working on right now. Created from turmeric oil with nanocellulose and tannins – the same as those found in red wine – these varnishes could be painted onto teeth at home to prevent the build-up of plaque that can lead to tooth decay.

Emily and her team are also identifying nanocellulose applications for functional textiles – such as those with antibacterial characteristics, moisture-wicking properties or quick-drying functions. To extend the shelf life of such things as cosmetics and processed foods like dairy substitutes, Emily is investigating nanocellulose applications that encapsulate the essential oils and food oils that are prone to spoilage in these products.

“We are on the precipice of moving the building blocks of this fundamental research into applications and commercial products,” states Emily. “So far, we’ve only discovered the tip of the iceberg in terms of new uses for nanocellulose.”

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This article was originally published in Branchlines Magazine. Read the magazine here.