Surface engineering of sustainable materials based on nanocellulose

本研究旨在通过学习自然，利用生物成分，设计高性能材料，取代基于不可再生资源的材料。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尔。最近，纳米尺寸的纤维素颗粒，以纳米晶纤维素（NCC）的形式，引起了媒体的关注，因为它们在魁北克温莎的Domtar示范工厂进行了新的工业生产。木浆每天可以生产成吨的量，用于制造新型纳米材料，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。该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NCC的物理、化学和机械性能。最先进的工具将用于表征和修改NCC，以优化其作为复合材料中的增强相；我们将通过化学功能化NCC表面或用聚合物涂覆单个NCC颗粒来赋予NCC更好的粘合性能，并确保NCC在固体复合材料中的均匀分布。研究人员将使用原子力显微镜（一种类似弹簧的机制用于检测微小的力）和测量新型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，刚度，断裂伸长率和NCC薄膜的裂纹倾向将使用最近开发的方法，基于材料在压缩时如何起皱进行研究。这项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来确保其商业成功，并最终保证加拿大在NCC发现方面保持领先地位。

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.