Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 19, 2025

Towards Biomimicking Wood: Fabricated Free-standing Films of Nanocellulose, Lignin, and a Synthetic Polycation
Published on: June 17, 2014
Lightweight, tough, and sustainable cellulose nanofiber-derived bulk structural materials with low thermal expansion
Qing-Fang Guan1, Huai-Bin Yang1, Zi-Meng Han1
1Division of Nanomaterials and Chemistry, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Hefei Science Center of CAS, Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biomimetic Materials & Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
Abstract:
Sustainable structural materials with light weight, great thermal dimensional stability, and superb mechanical properties are vitally important for engineering application, but the intrinsic conflict among some material properties (e.g., strength and toughness) makes it challenging to realize these performance indexes at the same time under wide service conditions. Here, we report a robust and feasible strategy to process cellulose nanofiber (CNF) into a high-performance sustainable bulk structural material with low density, excellent strength and toughness, and great thermal dimensional stability. The obtained cellulose nanofiber plate (CNFP) has high specific strength [~198 MPa/(Mg m-3)], high specific impact toughness [~67 kJ m-2/(Mg m-3)], and low thermal expansion coefficient (<5 × 10-6 K-1), which shows distinct and superior properties to typical polymers, metals, and ceramics, making it a low-cost, high-performance, and environmental-friendly alternative for engineering requirement, especially for aerospace applications.
Related Concept Videos
Thermal expansion and Thermal stress: Problem Solving
To solve the problem, first, identify the known and unknown quantities. The initial length (L) of the bridge is 1275 m, the coefficient of linear expansion (α) for steel is 12 x 10-6/°C, and the change in temperature (ΔT) is 55...
Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the...
Thermal Expansion
Fiber Reinforced Concrete

