Cellulose nanocrystals in coatings

One of the speculative features of cellulose nanocrystals is that different facets of the crystal have different surface energies. Bruel et al. of Ecole Polytechnique have now provided convincing evidence of this feature. They have shown how it can be used to explain the variability of the surface tension of cellulose nanocrystal coatings and how different fabrication techniques can produce coatings with different wettabilities as indicated by contact angle (θ). These valuable observations indicate that proper crystal orientations can allow good coating adherence to both polar and non-polar substrates, as CelluForce has recently demonstrated in industrial applications of barrier coatings used in the manufacturing of packaging films where cellulose nanocrystals improved oxygen, moisture, grease, and gas barrier properties, as well as printability.

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For more information, please consult the full article: Orienting cellulose nanocrystal functionalities tunes the wettability of water-cast films.