Composite Effects of Distinctive Cellulose Nanofiber and Rubbers

In recent years, biomass-derived materials have been attracting attention in order to reduce environmental impact, and cellulose nanofiber (CNF) is one such material. However, CNFs have long fiber lengths and tend to gel even in low-concentration aqueous dispersions, making them difficult to mix with other materials. Therefore, we developed a method for producing oxidized cellulose using a highly concentrated aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite as an oxidizing agent. The oxidized cellulose obtained by this method has the property of being easily converted into CNF. Furthermore, the resulting CNFs have short fiber lengths and maintain fluidity even at high concentrations. This paper introduces the composite of CNF and rubber, particularly the prevention of deformation of uncrosslinked rubber (suppression of cold flow).