Nanocellulose potential applications

Bacterial nanocellulose has proven to be a remarkably versatile biomaterial with numerous potential applications published every year. A recent review article dealing with BNC patents showed a highly increasing number of... 

In the case of potential applications, these particular dimensions affect the final structure and properties of the fabricated products. According to different terms of nanocelluloses, these can be divided into two basic categories (a) cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and (b) cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). Morphology (TEM images) of CNFs and CNCs is shown in Figure 15.3. 

Membranes and composites from cellulose and cellulose esters are important domains in the development and application of these polymer materials. The most important segment by volume in the chemical processing of cellulose contains regenerated cellulose fibers, films, and membranes, hi the case of the cellulose esters mainly cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetate as well as novel high-performance materials created therefrom are widely used as laminates, composites, optical/photographic films and membranes, or other separation media, as reviewed in [1], The previously specified nanocelluloses from bacteria and wood tie in with these important potentials and open novel fields of application. 

In the previous sections, the application potential and the use of nanocelluloses as technical materials as devices in human and veterinary medicine as well as cosmetics have been described. Because of the exceptional properties of these innovative polymers more widespread utilization has been observed in recent years. In this section some additional and quite different examples will be reported. Further information can bee found in Table 7. 

Nanocellulose, such as that produced by the bacteria Gluconacetobacter xylinus (bacterial cellulose, BC), is an emerging biomaterial with great potential in several applications. The performance of bacterial cellulose stems from its high purity, ultra-fine network structure and high mechanical properties in the dry state [114]. These features allow its applications in scaffold for tissue regeneration, medical applications and nanocomposites. A few researchers have used bacterial cellulose mats to reinforce polymeric matrices and scaffolds with wound healing properties [115-121]. BC is pure cellulose made by bacterial fabrication via biochemical... 

Despite great potential, the widespread use of various kinds of nanocellulose has a limitation due to lack of information on their biological safety. Nevertheless, diverse experiments on animals and human volunteers prove that topical application of nanocellulose is quite safe. For example, testing of experimental peeling cream NAPA containing CNP of cellulose on volunteers showed negative skin reactions. Clinical examinations demonstrated that the cosmetic masks made by BNC do not cause any unwanted skin reactions such as irritation, sensitization, or allergy (Klemm et al., 2006). 

Recent advances in the field of biomaterials and their medical applications indicate the significance and potential of various nanoceUulose in the development of novel classes of medical devices and applications in healthcare and veterinary medicine. The physical and mechanical properties of nanocellulose are attributes that enable nanocellulose membranes to function as effective temporary wound dressings. On the other hand, because implantable biomaterials (i.e., scaffolds) are also needed, a new approach has been undertaken to apply cellulose as a material entirely integrated into the body, either as a bone or skin graft. 

In this chapter, different methods of isolation of nanoceUulose from different cellulosic sources and methods to increase the compatibility in nanocomposites were demonstrated. The technology developed in the use of cellulose has shown big advantages in medicine because of their compatibility with the human and animal bodies. The nanocellulose as framework has great potential in some applications like it was demcmstrated for the case of tissues, where the cells grow faster than conventional procedures. 

Epoxy-based nanocellulose composites have the potential for wide application due to their high mechanical properties. Epoxy is a thermosetting copolymer, also known... 

Processing techniques have an important influence on the final properties of the nanocomposites based on nanocellulose. Therefore, the achievement of superior strength in the properties of nanocomposite based on nanocellulose can be used for many applications. However, the use of nanocellulose as a reinforcement is in its infancy, and the full reinforcing potential of nanocomposites has yet to be realized partly because of issues related to scaling up of the manufacturing processes. 

This book is aimed to provide a detailed knowledge on the issues mentioned above. It also provides a comprehensive overview on the synthesis and applications of nanocellulose-based nanocomposites materials. This book discusses extensive developments for the next generation research in the field of nanocellulose-based nanocomposites. The book contains seventeen chapters and each chapter addresses some specific issues related to nanocellulose and also demonstrates the real potentialities of these materials in different domains. 

Yu et al. [96] developed PHB/chemically modified nanocellulose composites, and the nanocomposites obtained exhibited great potential for application as medical materials. 

The chapter covers a review of miscellaneous nanocomposites based on biodegradable pol5mier matrices and nanofillers. The first two parts discuss components of composites, renewable bionanofillers of natural origin, and biodegradable polymer matrices whereas the last part covers nanocellulose-based composites, also in terms of their potential use in high-tech applications in medicine as these are regarded to be the wave of the future. 

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