Chapter 1 - Nanotechnology in paper and wood engineering: an introduction

Abstract

The biopolymers are present in abundance in nature. The plant kingdom is mainly constituted of biopolymers including cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, lignin, and chitin, etc. The recent developments in nanotechnology-based approaches have made it possible to extract and use these biopolymers in the various industries including paper and pulp industry. The cellulose, hemicellulose, or pectin content present in the wood has immense importance in paper and pulp industry. The hardwood has also been widely used in the timber and furniture industry. Conventional techniques of wood modification and engineering into various usable forms are not much fascinating in terms of stability, durability, and ease of handling. The wood and paper industry has also greatly dominated by nanotechnology-based techniques for manufacturing new wood derivatives. The cellulosic nanofibers, nanosheets, nanogels, nanomembranes, nanocoatings, or nanopolymeric composites of pectin and lignin have enabled the synthesis of high-quality wood-based products. A brief idea of various applications of nanotechnology in the paper and pulp industry has been given in this chapter.