Firm aims to mass-produce tree-derived NCC particle

Celluforce has built a pilot demonstration plant to produce its particle, which is one-third as strong as carbon nanotubes (though still eight times stronger than steel) but much cheaper and safer with additional optical properties.

‘We’re using the material that is the structural building block of trees — what allows them to stand tall under storms — but taking out the weaker parts that make it flexible,’ said Jean Moreau, chief executive officer of Celluforce.

Applications are broad but include composites for aerospace, transportation and medical devices; high-strength textile fibres; switchable optical filters; and iridescent pigments.

The early work on nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) was done by scientists at FPInnovations under Dr Richard Berry — now chief technology officer at Cellulose — who initially trained at Keele University.

Noram Engineering, with financial assistance from Domtar, then scaled up production with a CAN$33m (£20.5m) facility at the site of an existing pulp plant, which was completed earlier this year.