Nanocellulose or Cellulose Nanocomposites

The idea of bionanocomposites—in which the reinforcing material has nanometer dimensions—is emerging to create the next generation of novel eco-friendly materials with superior performance and extensive applications in medicine, coatings, packaging, the automotive industry, etc. 

Nanostructured composites, where both the reinforcement and the matrix are biobased, are discussed in the book by Oksman and Sain (2006). Cellulose combined with natural polymers led to the development of a class of biodegradable and envi-ronmentally-friendly bionanocomposites. This family of nanocomposites is expected to remarkably improve material properties when compared with the matrix polymers or conventional micro- and macro-composite materials. Such improvements in properties typically include a higher modulus and strength, improved barrier properties, and increased heat distortion temperature [4]. 

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