Nanocellulose Binders for Fibre Preforms: Creating the Building Blocks of High Performance Sustainable Composites

我们利用EPRSC的资助（EP/F032005/1）开发了一种优雅的、本质上可扩展的和具有成本效益的技术，用于将纤维结合在一起，以利用细菌纳米纤维素（本身是一种结构增强材料）制造平面内的非织造纤维垫，在生产过程中不涉及额外的化学步骤。这项发明最初是为粘合天然纤维而开发的--如剑麻和大麻--以创造“真正的绿色”、分层的复合材料。细菌纤维素（BC）目前由fzmb GmbH以商业规模（10 t/a）生产，用于化妆品应用。BC具有非常令人印象深刻的性能，无论是在纸的形式（15 GPa拉伸模量）和作为一个单独的纳米纤维（114 GPa杨氏模量）。或者，纳米原纤化纤维素（NFC）也可以中试规模获得。文献中有足够的证据表明可以制备具有大大改善的性质的纳米纤维素纳米复合材料。除此之外，已经表明可以使用BC生产分层的，即纤维增强的纳米复合材料。这项工作已经获得了两项专利。拟议的项目将展示一种浆体浸渍或“造纸”工艺，以生产短（非织造）纤维预制件。我们的工艺的优势在于，可以利用短、长甚至连续的纤维来生产纤维预制件，这些纤维预制件可用于传统的复合材料制造工艺。可以使用的纤维可以是天然的或合成的。该项目的理想候选物是纤维，这些纤维很难形成具有下游处理所需强度的机械强度强的纤维预制件。我们将专注于扩大生产纤维预制件的开发规模，并为这项技术提供一系列增值特性。将选择的例子，以满足行业的要求，并刺激纤维增强（纳米）复合材料的新应用。我们相信，我们的技术可以授权给复合材料制造商，他们将受益于新一代的增值产品和主要的竞争优势。

We have developed using our EPRSC grant (EP/F032005/1) an elegant, intrinsically scalable and cost-effective technology for binding fibres together in order to create an in-plane non-woven fibre mat, utilising bacterial nanocellulose - itself a structural reinforcement, with no extra chemical steps involved during the production. The invention was originally developed for binding natural fibres - such as sisal and hemp - to create "truly green", hierarchical composites. Bacterial cellulose (BC) is currently produced on commercial scale (10t/a) for cosmetic applications by fzmb GmbH. BC has very impressive properties, both in paper form (15 GPa tensile modulus) and as an individual nanofibre (114 GPa Young's modulus). Alternatively, nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) is also available at the pilot scale. There is sufficient evidence in the literature that nanocellulose nanocomposites with much improved properties can be made. In addition to this, it has been shown that hierarchical, i.e. fibre reinforced, nanocomposites can be produced using BC. The previous work has resulted in two patents. The proposed project will demonstrate a slurry dipping or "paper-making" process to produce short (non-woven) fibre preforms. The advantage of our process is that short, long and even continuous fibres can be utilised to produce fibre preforms, which can be utilised in conventional composite making processes. The fibres, which can be used can be either be natural or synthetic. The ideal candidates for this project are fibres that can only with difficulties be formed in to mechanically strong fibre preforms with the required strength for downstream handling. We will focus on scaling up our development of producing fibre preforms and provide a range of value-added properties to this technology. Examples will be selected to satisfy the requirement of the industry and to stimulate new applications for fibre reinforced (nano)composites. We believe that our technology can be licensed to composites manufacturers who will benefit from a new generation of value added products and a major competitive advantage.