15 Feb 2022 --- Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US, have engineered a composite made 60%-90% from cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) mixed with synthetic polymer. The scientists say this composite is stronger and tougher than some types of bone, harder than aluminum alloys and has the potential to replace “a significant fraction of plastics” in packaging. “By creating composites with CNCs at high loading, we can give polymer-based materials mechanical properties they never had before,” says study author John Hart, professor of mechanical engineering. “If we can replace some petroleum-based plastic with naturally-derived cellulose, that’s arguably better for the planet as well.”The institute’s research has shown that the strongest part of a tree lies not in its trunk or sprawling roots but in the walls of its microscopic cells. Furthermore, the organic crystals present in the newly developed material form the highest fraction of CNCs achieved in a composite to date.
