New research demonstrates that cellulose nanocrystals can increase the tensile strength of concrete by 30 percent.
The cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) could be refined from industrial byproducts generated in the paper, bioenergy, agriculture, and pulp industries. They are extracted from structures called cellulose microfibrils, which help to give plants and trees their high strength, lightweight, and resilience.
“This is an abundant, renewable material that can be harvested from low-quality cellulose feedstocks already being produced in various industrial processes,” says Pablo Zavattieri, an associate professor in the Lyles School of Civil Engineering at Purdue University.
