The pulp and paper industry uses wood, which is a sustainable material that fixes Carbon Dioxide, as its main raw material. “Cellulose NanoFibers (CNF)” can be produced from this biomass material by processing it into ultrafine fibers.
A CNF has various properties not found in pulp and paper, such as lightweight, high strength, low linear thermal expansion, high viscosity, transparency and gas barrier properties, etc.
Daio Paper named our CNF as ELLEX® and is extending CNF lineup to meet diverse user needs.
The pilot plant installed at our Mishima Mill (Shikokuchuo City, Ehime Prefecture) in 2016 has already demonstrated a 97% reduction in energy consumption compared to the conventional method. This was achieved by incorporating pretreatment that uses low cost chemicals and mechanical multistage treatment into the manufacturing process.
Based on the results of this development, we will continue to work on further cost reduction, scaling up to mass production, and making higher CNF content Master Bach resin in near future.
By utilizing of the characteristics of CNF, it is possible to replace conventional petroleum products, reduce weight, and recycle. We are convinced that CNF is one of the materials to realize a CO2-free society in the future.
This partial technology is based on results obtained from a project subsidized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).