Production of Cellulose Nanofibrils and Their Application to Food: A Review

Abstract

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are one type of nanostructured cellulosic materials with a width below 100 nm and a length of several micrometers. CNFs have many desirable characteristics, such as a unique rheological behavior, high mechanical and barrier properties, and lightweight. They are produced from cotton, wood, grasses, and other lignocellulosic biomass. Thus, CNFs are abundantly available and can be a cheap alternative to petroleum-based polymers. Manufacturing of CNFs consists of pretreatment process and mechanical disintegration process. The pretreatment process makes cellulose fibers more responsive to be fibrillated, and pretreated fibers are mechanically disintegrated into nano-sized fibers in the next stage. Moreover, the type of raw materials can be a principal factor that affects CNFs production and properties. In this chapter, we reviewed the production, characterization, and the current applications of nanocellulose for food industries, such as food additives, food packaging, and coating.