Surface engineering of sustainable materials based on nanocellulose

该研究旨在设计高性能材料，以取代那些通过向自然界学习和使用生物成分的不可再生资源。纤维素特别有希望用于新材料，因为它是地球上最丰富的天然物质，具有非常高的机械强度，类似于不锈钢和凯夫拉。最近，以纳米晶体纤维素（NCC）形式的纳米尺寸的纤维素颗粒在媒体中引起了关注，因为它们在魁北克的温莎的Domtar示范工厂进行了新的工业生产。每天都有大量的木浆被用来制造新型纳米材料，如复合材料、涂料、凝胶和泡沫。NCC未来的增值产品将包括油漆、化妆品和生物医学设备，更普遍的目标是用NCC材料取代现有的不可生物降解的塑料复合材料。这项研究将解决有关新型NCC复合材料设计的最重要的未解决的科学问题，包括如何提高NCC与其他复合材料组分的相容性，以及如何彻底测量物理，化学和机械性能。将使用最先进的工具来表征和改性NCC，以优化其作为复合材料中的增强相;我们将赋予更好的粘合性能，并通过化学官能化NCC表面或通过用聚合物涂覆单个NCC颗粒来确保NCC在固体复合材料中的均匀分布。将使用原子力显微镜（其中使用弹簧状机制来检测微小的力）并通过测量新NCC复合材料的整体性能来研究改性NCC与各种复合材料组分之间的相互作用。第一次，NCC薄膜的刚度，断裂伸长率和裂纹倾向将使用最近开发的方法进行研究，该方法基于材料在压缩时如何起皱。该研究计划的实施将使NCC成为一个材料平台，通过开发这种材料的新市场确保其商业成功，并最终保证加拿大仍然处于NCC发现的最前沿。

This research aims to design high-performance materials to replace those that are based on non-renewable resources by learning from nature and using biological components. Cellulose is particularly promising for use in new materials because it is the most abundant natural substance on earth and has very high mechanical strength, similar to stainless steel and Kevlar. Recently, nanometer-sized particles of cellulose, in the form of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), have gained attention in the media because of their new industrial production at the Domtar demonstration plant in Windsor, Quebec. Tonne per day quantities are being manufactured from wood pulp to create novel nanomaterials such as composites, coatings, gels and foams. Future value-added products from NCC will include paints, cosmetics and biomedical devices and a more general goal is to replace existing non-biodegradable plastic composites with NCC materials. The proposed research will address the most important unresolved scientific issues regarding the design of new NCC composites, including how to improve the compatibility of NCC with other composite components and how to thoroughly measure the physical, chemical and mechanical properties. State-of-the-art tools will be used to characterize and modify NCC in order to optimize it as a reinforcing phase in composites; we will impart better adhesive properties and ensure even distribution of NCC in solid composites by chemically functionalizing the surface of NCC or by coating individual NCC particles with polymers. The interactions between modified NCC and various composite components will be investigated using an atomic force microscope (where a spring-like mechanism is used to detect tiny forces) and by measuring the overall performance of the new NCC composites. For the first time, the stiffness, elongation at break and crack tendencies of NCC films will be studied using a recently developed method based on how materials wrinkle when compressed. Implementation of this research plan will establish NCC as a material platform, ensure its commercial success by developing new markets for this material, and ultimately guarantee that Canada remains at the forefront of NCC discoveries.