Abstract
Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) are a fundamental component of plant cell walls, and fibers of 4 to 20 nm width can be obtained by simple disintegration of pulp obtained from wood and bamboo, as well as agricultural and industrial biomass wastes. Since the nanofibers are made of semi-crystalline extended cellulose chains, they exhibit high elasticity (approximately 140 GPa), high strength (approximately 3 GPa), and low thermal expansion (approximately 0.1 ppm/K), with a density of 1.5 g/cm3. Because of these excellent mechanical properties and their high specific surface area, the utilization of CNFs has gained increasing attention across the world. In this paper, the characteristics of CNFs and their utilization is discussed based on seven keywords: 1) high performance; 2) varied raw materials; 3) diverse applications; 4) cost and performance; 5) time; 6) decarbonization; and 7) sustainability.
