Evaluation of Elastic Modulus of Cellulose Nanofiber

Introduction

Cellulose is a polysaccharide which is the main component of plant cell walls. Among the types of nanocellulose obtained by defibrating cellulose to the nanometer size, fiber with a diameter of approximately several nm to 100 nm is called cellulose nanofiber (CNF). CNF has attracted attention as an advanced biomass-type new material, as it is a plant fiber- derived material with low environmental loads in the production and waste disposal processes, is lightweight and has high strength, and also possesses various excellent functions, including a high gas barrier property, adsorption, and transparency. In the future, application of composites of CNF and automotive materials, electronic materials, and packaging materials is expected. In composite materials, it is important to select CNF of the proper type and strength, as the strength, weight, and other specifications of the composite must be optimized corresponding to the intended application. However, the lack of a fully established method for evaluating the strength of nanometer-order individual CNF fibers in the development and production processes is an issue. This article introduces an example using measurement of the elastic modulus as a CNF strength evaluation method employing the scanning probe microscope (SPM/AFM).

August 18, 2020 GMT