Abstract
The growing environmental concerns due to the excessive use of non-renewable petroleum based products have raised interest for the sustainable synthesis of bio-based value added products and chemicals. Recently, nanocellulose has attracted wide attention because of its unique properties such as high surface area, tunable surface chemistry, excellent mechanical strength, biodegradability and renewable nature. It serves wide range of applications in paper making, biosensor, hydrogel and aerogel synthesis, water purification, biomedical industry and food industry. Variations in selection of source, processing technique and subsequent chemical modifications influence the size, morphology, and other characteristics of nanocellulose and ultimately their area of application. The current review is focused on extraction/synthesis of nanocellulose from different sources such as bacteria and lignocellulosic biomass, by using various production techniques ranging from traditional harsh chemicals to green methods. Further, the challenges in nanocellulose production, physio-chemical properties and applications are discussed with future opportunities. Finally, the sustainability of nanocellulose product as well as processes is reviewed by taking a systems view. The impact of chemicals, energy use, and waste generated can often negate the benefit of a bio-based product. These issues are evaluated and future research needs are identified.
Highlights
The rising environmental concerns due to the excessive usage of synthetic, non-renewable, recalcitrant petroleum-based materials have driven the research for sustainable, renewable and biodegradable products
Bodin et al analysed the mechanical properties of Bacterial Nanocellulose (BNC) gels with collagen meniscal inserts and pig menisci harvested from pigs
This study reported a relatively lower minimum selling price (MSP) at 1,656 USD/ton, explained by the lower feedstock handling cost
Summary
The rising environmental concerns due to the excessive usage of synthetic, non-renewable, recalcitrant petroleum-based materials have driven the research for sustainable, renewable and biodegradable products. Nanocellulose has the desirable properties of cellulose such as biodegradability, low density and non-toxicity; along with certain special properties such as great mechanical and thermal stability, self-assembly in aqueous dispersion media, reinforcing capabilities and long-lasting nature (Thomas et al, 2018). It has been applied in various applications such as food packaging, chemical industry as viscosity modifier, biomedicine, mechanical reinforcement of matrices, and membrane filtration (Squinca et al, 2020). Even though a few LCA studies are available in public domain, TEA studies for CNCs and CNFs are quite limited (de Assis et al, 2017; de Assis et al, 2017; Bondancia et al, 2020; Blair et al, 2021) This work reviews these existing studies and summarizes the key learning and research gaps
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