Nanocellulose supported by Japanese Government About 100 companies in Japan will work together to put nanocellulose, made from wood fibres, into practical use as a next-generation material. It is one-fifth the weight of steel but about five times stronger. Companies involved with its development include paper manufacturers, automakers, chemical companies and others. They aim to utilize the new material for manufacturing auto parts, construction materials, artificial blood vessels and various other purposes. Because nanocellulose is made mainly from wood chips, it is considered friendly to the environment. Thus, the government plans to support the development as part of its economic growth strategy. Nanocellulose is made by chemically processing fibres contained in wood. The fibres are dissolved into pieces, each of which is measured on a nanometer scale. One nanometer is one-millionth of a meter and it is about one hundred-thousandth’s the thickness of a human hair. The main merit of nanocellulose is that it can be made efficiently from materials that have until now been underutilized, such as timber from forest thinning and rice straw. Nanocellulose is as light and strong as carbon fibres, which are used to manufacture aircraft bodies and have contributed to improvements in fuel efficiency. Paper manufacturers, which produce paper products by extracting fibers from timber and other raw materials, are using the technology to develop nanocellulose materials. Some of them, including Nippon Paper Industries Co., have started production of the material on a test basis. If the range of usage widens, mass-production will be possible. Thus, the Japanese government expects that the price level of nanocellulose in 2030 will be ¥500 per kilogram or lower, which is about one-tenth of the current level. The government has set goals of making nanocellulose a material that can compete with carbon fibre in terms of pricing, and of expanding the size of the market for the new material along with related businesses to the value of ¥1 trillion in 2030. There are hurdles to be cleared for example; the purpose for which the new materials can be used or processed has been questioned, along with how standards could be set to secure sufficient qualities of the new material for future mass-production. Therefore, the Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry contacted manufacturers that may use nanocellulose in the future, and established a study group for the public and private sectors. It will comprise major paper manufacturers, such as Nippon Paper Industries and Oji Holdings Corp.; Toyota Auto Body Co.; Mitsubishi Motors Corp.; Mitsui Chemicals Inc.; Denso Corp.; Kao Corp. and other interested companies. Source: The Japan News