Cellulose Nanofibers

Cellulose Nanofibers (CNF) is produced by nanofibrillation of pulp to a nanometer order. (1nm＝0.000001mm). 
CNF is expected to be served in many different industries as one of the excellent materials, because it has a lot of unique properties such as high transparency, high viscosity, light weight with toughness and dimensional stability.

OJI’s CNF

Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF) is produced by nanofibrillation of pulp to a nanometer order.

OJI’s phosphorylated CNF

OJI Group have been proceeding to develop a manufacturing process using a unique chemical treatment “phosphorylation, ”which is expected to be put to practical use due to low energy consumption during nanofibrillation. It enables us to produce CNFs with high quality (high transparency, high viscosity and thixotropy).
In 2017, the pilot facility to produce CNF started operating at Tomioka Mill of Oji Paper Co., Ltd.
Currently, Oji manufactures transparent CNF slurry called AUROVISCO, coarse CNF slurry and many other types of CNF in an aggressive effort to provide samples and increase the range of application of CNF for its commercialization.

■Nanofibrillation mechanism

CNF Lineup

Lineup of OJI’s phosphorylated CNF

(1) Transparent CNF slurry       AUROVISCO (2) Coarse CNF slurry	●Hydrophobic CNF powder	(1) Transparent CNF sheet      AUROVEIL (2) Excellent moldability      AUROVEIL 3D (3) Water resistance       AUROVEIL WP

CNF Slurry

(1) Transparent CNF slurry: AUROVISCO

● High viscosity item (solid content - 2 wt%, pH 8-10*）
Adding even a small amount of AUROVISCO can create a high thickening effect because it is more viscous than conventional, natural thickeners.

●Low viscosity item (solid content - 6 wt%, pH 8-10*)
The transparent CNF slurry maintains high transparency while achieving high concentration and low viscosity. This makes it possible to add more of the slurry that is expected to be of use in the reinforcement of transparent materials and as dispersing agent.


* Numerical values are not guaranteed.

             * Numerical values are not guaranteed.                                                                                       

(2) Coarse CNF slurry

Coarse CNF slurry is a water dispersion of CNF which consists of fibers widely ranging from thick and long to thin and short. The slurry has thixotropic properties of becoming less viscous by applying stress, but regaining its high viscosity when left to rest. Coarse CNF slurry is expected to be served in many different applications, such as resin and cement, which do not require transparency.
(Solid content 3 wt%, pH8-10*)　*The numerical values are not guaranteed.

 

 
*The numerical values are not guaranteed.                                                                                       

CNF Powder

CNF is characteristically incompatible with organic solvents and resin, due to strong hydrophilicity.
Oji Group has developed hydrophobic CNF powder using our original technology to reduce the water volume of CNF and increase its solid content up to 90 wt%.
This led to success in the dispersion of CNF with many various organic solvents, which had been difficult to perform. The dispersion liquid is very transparent and viscous, similar to water dispersion, and can thus be applied for applications such as compounding with resin, improvement of rheology of paint and ink, and synthesis of different organic solvents.

Transparent CNF Sheet

Oji Group has succeeded in developing the world’s first continuous transparent CNF sheet. This transparent sheet “AUROVEIL” consists of finely fibrillated CNF with approx. 3 nanometer width.
AUROVEIL has high transparency and high dimensional stability equivalent to glass. AUROVEIL also has excellent properties such as high elastic modulus, high strength and flexibility.

(1) Transparent CNF sheet: AUROVEIL

■ Features of AUROVEIL
High transparency, strength, elastic modulus, flexibility and dimensional stability

●High transparency equivalent to glass and high flexibility

■Properties of AUROVEIL

* Numerical values are not guaranteed.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

(2) CNF transparent sheet: AUROVEIL 3D

AUROVEIL 3D has a new feature of excellent moldability, as well as high transparency, flexibility and dimensional stability of original AUROVEIL.

■Features of AUROVEIL 3D
High transparency, flexibility, dimensional stability, and excellent moldability

(3) CNF transparent sheet: AUROVEIL WP

Because CNF is a wood-derived material, AUROVEIL has inferior water resistance. AUROVEIL WP now features water resistance as well as the original AUROVEIL characteristics.
It is expected to be used under high humidity environment.