NEDO has announced that acetylated ligno cellulose nanofiber (CNF) show high biodegradability (~90% in the OECD TG301C test), bringing this material closer to wide applications. CNF are cellulose fibers with a diameter of 3 – 10 nm obtained from woody biomass such as bamboo or other wood. They are already produced by companies such as Nippon Paper at a scale of several 100 tons. Through acetylation and continuous melt-kneading, CNF-reinforced resin materials can be produced which show high thermostability and are lighter and stronger than steel. Their CNF component is biodegradable. A CNF-based composite material, Starcel®from Kyoto’s PMC Corp., is already used for the soles of running shoes Gel-Kayano®25 produced by ASICS Co., a major Japanese sport shoes manufacturer with global reach.
NEDO news release, August 8, 2019
NEDO news release, June 1, 2018