This paper provides an overview of recent progress made in the area of cellulose nanofibre-based nanocomposites. An introduction into the methods used to isolate cellulose nanofibres (nanowhiskers, nanofibrils) is given, with details of their structure. Following this, the article is split into sections dealing with processing and characterisation of cellulose nanocomposites and new developments in the area, with particular emphasis on applications. The types of cellulose nanofibres covered are those extracted from plants by acid hydrolysis (nanowhiskers), mechanical treatment and those that occur naturally (tunicate nanowhiskers) or under culturing conditions (bacterial cellulose nanofibrils). Research highlighted in the article are the use of cellulose nanowhiskers for shape memory nanocomposites, analysis of the interfacial properties of cellulose nanowhisker and nanofibrilbased composites using Raman spectroscopy, switchable interfaces that mimic sea cucumbers, polymerisation from the surface of cellulose nanowhiskers by atom transfer radical polymerisation and ring opening polymerisation,
The latewood lignin content, maximum density and total ring width of ten consecutive annual increments were determined in treeline Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) using ultraviolet (UV) microscopy and radiodensitometry, respectively. A positive correlation between the total ring width and the mean temperature of mid-July to August was identified, as was one between the maximum density and the temperature of AugustSeptember. Lignin content in the secondary cell wall layer of the terminal latewood tracheids was positively correlated with the temperature for the period running from the beginning of September until the third week of October. It can, therefore, be concluded that lignification of the cell wall is susceptible to the influence of climatic variability, as is the case with ring width and maximum density.
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