Fabricating Sustainable All-Cellulose Composites

Abstract

Climate change, waste disposal challenges, and emissions generated by the manufacture of non-renewable materials are driving forces behind the production of more sustainable composite materials. All-cellulose composites (ACCs) originate from renewable biomass, such as trees and other plants, and are considered fully biodegradable. Dissolving cellulose is a common part of manufacturing ACCs, and currently there is a lot of research focused on effective, but also more environmentally friendly cellulose solvents. There are several beneficial properties of ACC materials that make them competitive: light weight, recyclability, low toxicity, good optical, mechanical, and gas barrier properties, and abundance of renewable plant-based raw material. The most prominent ACC applications are currently found in the food packing, medical, technical and vehicle industries. All-cellulose nanocomposites (ACNCs) expand the current research field and can offer a variety of more specific and functional applications. This review provides an overview of the manufacture of sustainable ACCs from lignocellulose, purified cellulose, and cellulosic textiles. There is an introduction of the cellulose dissolution practices of creating ACCs that are currently researched, the structure of cellulose during complete or partial dissolution is discussed, and a brief overview of factors which influence composite properties is presented.