Researchers from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in the U.S. are developing methods to strengthen plastics using wood-derived cellulose nanocrystals. The article says that cellulose nanocrystals can be drawn from a range of natural materials including wood, orange pulp, and the byproducts of apple cider production and that an ounce of nanocrystals can increase the strength of a pound of plastic by a factor of 3,000. The article says that the nanocrystals could also be used in ceramics and biomedical applications instead of glass, which is heavier, more expensive, and less biodegradable than cellulose. The article says that the researchers can currently produce about one pound of the material at a time and are working to scale the process up to a commercial level. According to the article, the researchers think that the nanocrystals could potentially be used in strong, lightweight, biodegradable bioplastics.
