A Progress on Nanocellulose as Binders for Loose Natural Fibres

Abstract

Nanocellulose can be obtained by two ways: extracting from wood to be nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and synthesised from bacterial cellulose (BC). Typically, the use of nanocellulose is for coating of fibres or reinforcement of polymer to make nanocomposites. This nanocellulose had been developed to be binders for natural fibre non-wovens. This binder has function to hold the loose fibres together so that the mechanical properties are improved. This article reviews the use of nanocellulose as binder for improving the mechanical properties of nonwoven natural fibre preforms. The manufacturing process, the comparison to conventional polymer binders and the potential of this in the future are also discussed.