Nano Industry

Successful running of news hosting on Nanotechnology in www.industrypaper.net since 2009, it was felt that a separate website should be made, specifically for promotion of Nanotechnology for Industries and hence this website. Nanotechnology has already made access to pulp and paper as well as other industries and it can be further expanded and understood for better profitability. Find below some photographs from the archives to know Dr. Patel for his keen interest in Nanotechnology and other areas, contributing to developments in industries.

Nanocellulose book inaugurated recentlyin London by Dr. Daven Chamberlain

Dr. Mahendra Patel presenting paper & participating in Panel discussion on Nanotechnology in PaperAsia, Bangkok

Book entitled, ”Nanocellulose from Techno-economic Perspective”

(published in March 2022, www.nanoindustry.in; info@nanoindustry.in)

ISBN No.: 978-81-923542-7-9; Author- Dr Mahendra Patel; Pages- 560, Published by Industrypaper in March, 2022; Foreword by Dr. Daven Chamberlain, Editor, Paper Technology International, PITA, United Kingdom.

Nanocellulose is gradually gaining prominence because of its property-enhancing ability as a super additive in a large number of products; notably paper and packaging, food, medicine, composite materials, cosmetics, textile, energy and electronics and in many other materials. Nanocellulose-based composite materials find applications in the medical for artificial organs etc., as nanocellulose is biocompatible. The possibility of its use as antimicrobial material to combat the Corona virus has recently been advocated and if the technology can be advanced, it will be of immense service to the society.

This book addresses the techno-economic aspects of nanocellulose production. Raw materials account for 40-70% of the total cost of nanocellulose production at industrial scale and thus governs the techno-economics. This book discusses on the vital issue of techno-economics starting from the individual raw material to processing technologies, giving flow diagrams/case study and product SEM/TEM/AFM micrographs; XRD and particle size etc.

There are as such more than forty different raw materials discussed in this book, apart from different trees and industrial as well as agricultural wastes, produced in small volumes. The papermaking fibres, namely wood, agro-residues and recycled fibre are discussed elaborately in one section, considering the techno-economic implications of the papermaking fibres in nanocellulose production at industrial scale. Few modifications in the present manufacturing process, are suggested for higher yield and uniform quality of nanocellulose. The raw materials are discussed in the six different sections and 22 chapters.

Scientific News and Views

(From Journal and Other sources; The web-owner takes no responsibility on the validity of the news cited)

023 (24-10-2023)

Trio wins Nobel Prize in chemistry for work on quantum dots, used in electronics and medical imaging

Click here to view

022 (19-8-2023)

Cleaning water with 'smart rust' and magnet

Pouring flecks of rust into water usually makes it dirtier. But researchers have developed special iron oxide nanoparticles they call "smart rust" that actually makes it cleaner. Smart rust can attract many substances, including oil, nano- and microplastics, as well as the herbicide glyphosate, depending on the particles' coating. As the nanoparticles are magnetic, they can easily be removed from water with a magnet along with the pollutants.
The base materials they use are iron oxide nanoparticles in a superparamagnetic form, which means they are drawn to magnets, but not to each other, so the particles don't clump. To make them "smart," the team developed a technique to attach phosphonic acid molecules onto the nanometre-sized spheres. After a layer of the molecules is added to the iron oxide cores, they look like hairs sticking out of these particles' surfaces. Then, by changing what is bound to the other side of the phosphonic acids, the researchers can tune the properties of the nanoparticles' surfaces to strongly adsorb different types of pollutants. Additionally, the team demonstrated that smart rust could remove nano- and microplastics added to lab and river water samples.

In this illustration, a “smart rust” nanoparticle attracts and traps estrogen molecules, which are represented by the floating objects.
In the future, the team will test these particles on real-world water samples and determine the number of times that they can be reused. Because each nanoparticle has a high surface area with lots of pockets, the researchers say that they should be able to remove estrogens from multiple water samples, thereby reducing the cost per cleaning. By repeatedly recycling these particles, the material impact from this water treatment method could become very small according to the researcher.
(Ref: ACS Fall 2023)

021 (19-8-2023)

Nano gel film to capture carbon dioxide

Global CO2 emissions for 2022 reached 36.1 gigatons, and this consumed 13–36% of the remaining carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5°C, which means our permissible emissions could be depleted within two years.
Direct air capture (DAC) technologies extract CO2 directly from the atmosphere at any location, but their practicality is limited by the higher energy needs and overall costs. In particular, most solid-sorbent-based systems cannot function well in humid conditions and have high regeneration temperatures or require vacuum conditions.
To overcome these challenges, the researcher developed sustainable carbon-capture hydrogels (SCCH) as a step-change material for CO2 capture with high uptake and exceptionally low regeneration energy. The SCCH consists of low-cost biomass konjac gum, thermo-responsive cellulose, and uniformly dispersed polyethylenimine (PEI). Another advantage of this SCCH is its unique hierarchical structure. The micro- and nanoscale pores enable CO2 transport and easy access to active amine sites.
Another advantage of our SCCH, which is the ease of preparation. The gel can be made with commercially available materials, dissolved in water, poured into a mold, and followed by a freeze-drying process. This is scalable and durable in ambient air, which benefits practical application. With such a low regeneration temperature, the present hydrogels can be a game-changing materials platform for more sustainable air quality management and DAC technologies. (Ref: Youhong Guo et al, Nano Letters (2023).

020 (27-7-2023)

Lyocell fibre made from Orange pulp and wood source- A new sustainable offering for the fashion industry

Lenzing and Orange Fibre introduce the first TENCEL™ branded lyocell fibre made of orange pulp and wood sources – presenting a new sustainable offering for the fashion industry. Lenzing & Catania – Lenzing Group, a leading global producer of wood-based specialty fibre, is partnering with Orange Fiber, an Italian company which has patented the pulp production process for citrus by-products, to produce the first ever TENCEL™ branded lyocell fibre made of orange and wood pulp. This new product aims to realise both companies’ shared vision to enhance sustainability in the textile and fashion industry. The new TENCEL™ Limited Edition initiative combines the imagination, innovation and inspiration of eco-responsible textiles, through reinventing TENCEL™ branded fibres using unconventional sustainable raw materials.
Orange pulp is used for Nanocellulose production (Ref: Nanocellulose from techno-economic perspective, www.nanoindustry.in)

019 (26-7-2023)

Textile fibre from wood- A new development going to change the world

Spinnova-Textile fibre is produced now from wood cellulose. This natural fibre material is white continuous filament. It is ready as-is for spinning into yarn and knitting or weaving into fabric. With the stretch and strength qualities of cotton and the insulation of lamb’s wool, it can suit apparel, footwear, accessories, home textiles, and non-wovens.
Its most amazing feature is the fact that it can be upcycled several times in the process without losing quality.
Also, the fibre can be dyed before the spinning phase, meaning it is cut out the need for the water and chemicals used intensively in traditional dyeing processes.
For Spinnova, the raw material used is the same pulp used for making paper. The pulp is treated only mechanically, to create micro fibrillated cellulose (MFC).
Spinnova and partner Suzano in Finland just opened the first commercial-scale facility producing Spinnova fibre. Operated by Woodspin, the first collection of clothing was introduced at the plant opening. All pieces, including the shoes, are made from 20 percent Spinnova and 80 percent cotton. This collection demonstrates how a circular, wood-based fibre can be woven into something delicate and elegant.

018 (25-5-2023)

Performance Biofilaments Starts Commercial Production of Nanofibrillated Cellulose

Performance BioFilaments announced the start-up of the world's largest nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) commercial production plant at Resolute Forest Products' Kenogami paper mill in Quebec, Canada. According to Performance BioFilaments, a daily production capacity of 21 metric tons is now available to supply customers for commercial orders in concrete and mortar, nonwoven, industrial fluid, biocomposite plastic, thin film and mineral consolidation applications. A small dose of this nano-scale biomaterial has a significant impact, therefore, capacity of 7,000 metric tons per year will go a long way.
Source: www.performancebiofilaments.com and PITA News (24 th May 2023)

017 (25-5-2023)

Textile fibre from Wood

Production of textile fibre from wood was at laboratory or pilot plant stage so far. Now two Companies in Finland, Spinnova and Suzano have officially opened their first commercial-scale facility producing wood-based SPINNOVA fibre. Operated by Woodspin – Spinnova and Suzano’s joint venture – the plant will produce 1,000 tonnes of sustainable, recyclable and fully biodegradable textile fibre from responsibly-grown wood each year. Woodspin has also announced plans to open a second site to scale production further. Their aim is to build one million tonnes of wood-based SPINNOVA fibre annual production capacity by 2033.

016 (17-12-22)

Natural gas (Methane) for heating home

In Hungary, the majority of households use natural gas for heating. It is one of the most environmentally friendly ways of keeping homes warm However, natural gas also plays an important role in electricity generation. A significant proportion of natural gas is methane to varying degrees depending on the area; in Hungary natural gas contains ~ 97%t methane. One research group is investigating the so-called e-fuels, which canovercome the large fluctuations in the amount of electricity produced. In e-fuels, the energy content of excess electricity can be stored and then converted back into electricity. One such fuel is ammonia, which has the advantage of being produced using mature technology and is easy to transport and store.
(Source: Proc. Comb.Inst. 2022)

015 (22-9-2022)

Lignin chemical code and climate change

Lignin, the second most abundant biopolymer on Earth, represents about 30% of the total carbon on the planet. It allows plants to conduct water and stand upright; without lignin, plants cannot grow nor survive. For a long time, scientists did not consider that lignin had a "code" like in DNA or proteins. It is shown by scientists from Stockholm University Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences, that each cell in lignin uses this "chemical code" to adjust their lignin to function optimally and resist stresses, having relevance to the climate change.

Plant pipe cell reinforced with lignin is highly resistant to negative pressure in contrast to the other flattened cells around. Plants are made of many different cells, some of them are reinforced with lignin and assemble to each other to form a pipe that conducts water, like a straw to drink your cocktail.

This new study shows that we can create and/or select plants that can better recover from drought without affecting the size of the plant or seed yield by genetically modifying their lignin chemistry. These results could be used in both agriculture and forestry to tackle future climate challenges.
(Source: The Plant Cell (2022)

014 (8-6-2022)

Fibre-based barrier to replace the aluminium layer

Tetra Pak has made a breakthrough in the company’s journey towards a fully renewable aseptic package, an innovative fibre-based material substituting the aluminium layer, with the ambition of reducing the carbon footprint while making the post-consumer cartons more attractive for recyclers.

Following the successful completion of a 15-month commercial technology validation of a polymer-based barrier replacing the aluminium layer, Tetra Pak is now moving to the next level of development - testing a fibre-based barrier that is a first within food carton packages distributed under ambient conditions.

The commercial technology validation was conducted in Japan starting late 2020, using a polymer-based barrier to replace the aluminium layer. This helped to understand the value chain implications of the change, and to quantify the carbon footprint reduction. It also confirmed adequate oxygen protection for vegetable juice, while enabling increased recycling rates in a country where recyclers favour aluminium-free cartons. A first pilot batch of single serve packs featuring this industry-first material are currently on shelf for a commercial consumer test, with further technology validation scheduled later in 2022.

013 (7-6-2022)

Plant cell walls at nanoscale visualised

To optimize biomaterials for reliable, cost-effective paper production, building construction, and biofuel development, researchers often study the structure of plant cells using techniques such as freezing plant samples or placing them in a vacuum. A team of scientists Dept. of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and CNRS, France have used state-of-the-art microscopy and spectroscopy methods to provide non-destructive alternatives. Using a technique called scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy, the team examined the composition of cell walls from young poplar trees without damaging the samples.

Plant cells are difficult to navigate due to the presence of complex polymers such as microfibrils, thin threads of biomass resembling intertwined spaghetti strings with dimension of ~20 nm. By using their measurement technique to obtain a series of detailed images in one region of the poplar wood cell wall, the team also observed the distribution of structural polymers such as lignin and cellulose, which are hard substances that serve as the "bones" of biological systems and can be extracted and converted into biofuels and bioproducts. The technique could also prove beneficial to the field of additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, which involves stacking layers of materials to create a wide variety of objects, from fake fish to spacecraft components.
(Source: Communications Materials (2021).

012 (06-6-2022)

Nano-sensor detects pesticide in fruits

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have developed a tiny sensor for detecting pesticides on fruit in just a few minutes. The technique uses flame-sprayed nanoparticles made from silver to increase the signal of chemicals. The new nano-sensors employ a 1970s discovery known as surface-enhanced Raman scattering, or SERS, a powerful sensing technique that can increase the diagnostic signals of biomolecules on metal surfaces by more than 1 million times. To test the sensors' practical application, the researchers calibrated them to detect low concentrations of parathion-ethyl, a toxic agricultural insecticide that is banned or restricted in most countries. A small amount of parathion-ethyl was placed on part of an apple. The residues were later collected with a cotton swab that was immersed in a solution to dissolve the pesticide molecules. The solution was dropped on the sensor, which confirmed the presence of pesticides.
(Source: Advanced Science (2022).

011 (31-5-22)

Separating nano sheets in zeolite for use in packaging

A research team at the University of Bayreuth in Germany has found a way to use osmotic swelling for the gentle separation of ilerite crystals, which belong to the group of zeolites. In the process, large sugar molecules are first inserted into the narrow spaces between the nano sheets. Subsequently, the nano sheets, which are stacked on top of each other and structurally aligned, are separated by water. In the process, their spacing becomes considerably larger. Now the nano sheets can be pushed further apart horizontally in different directions: Upon subsequent drying, a solid surface is created that is composed of many nano sheets. These are stacked like playing cards, overlapping only at the edges and leaving only a few gaps. The diameter of the individual nano sheets is around 9,000 times greater than their thickness. This labyrinthine overall structure enables a wide range of potential applications, such as in packaging used to keep food fresh, in components for optoelectronics, and possibly even in batteries.
(Source: Science Advances (2022).

010 (25-5-22)

New method for tensile testing of micro and nanofibres

Researchers from Vienna University of Technology in Austria, have developed a novel method, suitable for mechanical tensile testing of micro and nanofibers. The special feature: Samples can be reversibly coupled to and uncoupled from the force sensor. In this method, a magnetic microsphere attached to the nanofiber can be picked up with magnetic tweezers. This allows the sphere to be inserted into the fork attached to a force sensor and thereby coupled to the sensor. Since the magnetic sphere can also be removed from the fork using the magnetic tweezers, another nanofiber can be picked up immediately.

009 (18-5-2022)

Bacterial nanocellulose enables auxetic supporting implants

Owing to its purity and exceptional mechanical performance, bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) is well suited for tissue engineering applications. The development of complex 3D forms is shown by taking advantage of the aerobic process involved in the biogenesis of BNC at the air/culture medium interphase. Hence, solid supports are used to guide the formation of BNC biofilms that easily form auxetic structures. The term auxetic refers to materials with negative Poisson's ratio, which counterintuitively expand in a direction normal to that of the tension or load. Such biomaterials are demonstrated as implantable meshes with prescribed opening size and infill density. The measured mechanical strength is easily adjustable (48–456 MPa tensile strength) while ensuring shape stability (>87% shape retention after 100 burst loading/unloading cycles).
(Source: Carbohydrate Polymers, Vol. 284, 15 May 2022, 119198)

008 (6-5-22)

(Paper Industry) Andritz’s New Bleaching Process- Compact Press Wash Press

Andritz has received an order from Stora Enso to rebuild bleach plant №4 at its Skutskär Mill in Sweden. The investment in new bleaching technology will increase the capacity of the mill and support Stora Enso’s ambitious climate targets. In addition, it will improve operational performance, enhance the overall efficiency of mill maintenance and thus reduce the site’s carbon footprint. Delivery is on EPC basis and includes the installation of two COMPACT PRESS wash presses, a new reactor, an effluent fiber filter, and MC equipment – all from Andritz. The COMPACT PRESS wash press is characterized by its small footprint and high availability, including extremely good washing efficiency, thus ensuring high-quality production and highest pulp cleanliness. The Skutskär mill has an annual production capacity of 540,000 tons and produces fluff, hardwood and softwood kraft pulp.

007 (6-5-22)

Only ~5% of plastic waste gets recycled in US

Only 5-6% of the 46 million tons of plastic waste generated annually in the U.S. gets recycled, a big dip from the last estimate of nearly 9% just a few years ago. Americans generated about 60 pounds of plastic waste per person in 1980, which was By 2018, that was up to 218 pounds in 2018;a 263% increase. Most municipalities recycle only Nos. 1 and 2 plastics as labelled on the bottom of containers. No. 1 containers are composed of polyethylene terephthalate, known as PET or PETE. It is commonly used to make water and soda bottles. No. 2 containers are composed of high-density polyethylene, or HDPE, and typically are used to make milk jugs, and shampoo and detergent bottles. However, there are seven types of plastics that can get labelled with the recycling symbol. Paper and cardboard have a recycling rate of about 68%. Metals, such as aluminium cans, and glass, such as bottles, also have much higher rates of recycling than plastics.

006 (5-5-22)

Copper is more effective than silver against SARS-CoV-2 on surfaces

It was observed that thin copper layers significantly reduced the SARS-CoV-2 viral load after only one hour. Sputtered silver surfaces, on the other hand, had only a marginal effect, and silver Nano patches did not affect the virus, either. A clear antiviral effect of copper-coated surfaces against SARS-Cov-2 was observed within one hour, while silver-coated surfaces had no effect on viral infectivity.
(Ref: Scientific Reports, 2022)

005 (3-5-22)

20-storey Wooden building in Sweden

The Sara Cultural Centre in Swedish town of Skelleftea is one of the world's tallest timber buildings, made primarily from spruce and towering 75 meters (246 feet). The 20-storey timber structure, which houses a hotel, a library, an exhibition hall and theatre stages, opened at the end of 2021 in the northern town of 35,000 people.

The main advantage of working with wood is that it is more environmentally friendly. Cement, used to make concrete and steel, two of the most common construction materials, are among the most polluting industries because they emit huge amounts of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas but wood emits little CO2 during its production and retains the carbon absorbed by the tree even when it is cut and used in a building structure. It is also lighter in weight, requiring less of a foundation. Wood as a construction material can be up to 30 times less carbon intensive than concrete and thousand times less than steel.

004 (2-5-22)

Drinking water from seawater

Scientists from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in USA have developed a portable desalination unit that can automatically remove particles and salts simultaneously to generate drinking water. The unit has the ideal combination of ICP (Ion concentration polarization) and electro dialysis modules. The optimal setup includes a two-stage ICP process, with water flowing through six modules in the first stage then through three in the second stage, followed by a single electro dialysis process. This minimized energy usage while ensuring the process remains self-cleaning. The resulting water exceeded World Health Organization quality guidelines, and the unit reduced the amount of suspended solids by at least a factor of 10. Their prototype generates drinking water at a rate of 0.3 litres per hour, and requires only 20 watts of power per litre.
(Source: Junghyo Yoon et al, Portable Seawater Desalination System for Generating Drinkable Water in Remote Locations, Environmental Science & Technology (2022).

003 (1-5-22)

Lignin-based jet fuel

Jet fuel has been produced from lignin from agricultural waste. According to the results obtained, this sustainable fuel could be mixed with other biofuels to fully replace petroleum-derived fuels. Such sustainable fuel could help the aviation industry reduce dependence on increasingly expensive fossil fuels while meeting higher environmental standards.
(Source: Zhibin Yang et al, Lignin-based jet fuel and its blending effect with conventional jet fuel, Fuel (2022).

(002) 23-4-22

Resolving nanostructures smaller than the diffraction limit of light

Jet fuel has been produced from lignin from agricultural waste. According to the results obtained, this sustainable fuel could be mixed with other biofuels to fully replace petroleum-derived fuels. Such sustainable fuel could help the aviation industry reduce dependence on increasingly expensive fossil fuels while meeting higher environmental standards.
(Source: Jörg Eismann et al, Sub-diffraction-limit Fourier-plane laser scanning microscopy, Optica (2022).

001 (22-4-22)

Photocatalyst for antiviral coating against COVID variants

In a research work, from Tokyo Institute of Technology, a photocatalyst has been developed which can act effectively against the Covid variants. The photocatalyst is made using a combination of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and copper oxide (CuxO) nanoclusters inactivates various variant types of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

By coating the CuxO/TiO2 powder on a glass, the team showed that it could inactivate even the highly virulent Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. The team has also confirmed the inactivation of Alpha, Beta, and Gamma variants by CuxO/TiO2 in addition to the wild type strain.
(Source: Scientific Reports, 2022)

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Books in Nanotechnology

Nanocellulose from Techno-economic Perspective (ISBN No.: 978-81-923542-7-9, Publ. on 10th March 2022)

Micro and Nanotechnology in Paper Manufacturing (ISBN No. 978-81-923542-2-4)

Operations and Recycling in Paper Mills with Micro and Nano Concepts (ISBN No.978-81-923542-3-1)