Nanocellulose and its potential use for sustainable industrial applications

Abstract

Nanocellulose (NC) and its wide applications have attracted high attention due to its desirable properties such as high surface area, extraordinary mechanical properties, high reactivity and easy modification of NC surface due to the presence of primary hydroxyl groups. NC also presents several environmental benefits, including high potential availability because its production is coming from natural sources, renewability and nontoxicity. This paper briefly summarizes some of the activities of the research group "Cellulose, Paper and Water Advanced Treatments" from Complutense University of Madrid that were presented in CAIQ 2019, including the main types of NC, the production processes and their characterization. Additionally, the most promising NC applications are described such as for paper and board, for wastewater treatment, food and cement-based materials. Moreover, a market perspective of NC is also presented.