Nanocellulose in Textiles: A Potential Resource for Sustainable Textile Manufacturing

Abstract

In recent times, there has been a discernible focus on the development of environmentally friendly and sustainable biomaterials obtained from renewable sources. Scientists are now investigating the prospective applications of nanocellulose, a biocompatible substance derived from natural cellulose. The aforementioned substance exhibits notable characteristics, such as a substantial surface area to volume ratio, with its compatibility with biological systems and capacity to undergo degradation. Nanocellulose has the capability to undergo transformation into nanofibers and nanocrystals, so enabling the generation of diverse structures, including elongated nanofibers, suspensions, and films. In the textile industry, there is a growing need to adopt sustainable techniques in order to address and minimize the negative environmental impacts. The current focus is on the advancement of environmentally sustainable alternatives in the realm of textile production, namely cellulose-based materials. These textiles are being created using processes that aim to minimize water pollution. In addition, recent advancements in dyeing methods have used nanocellulose to effectively reduce water consumption and eliminate the need for toxic materials. Nanocellulose nanocomposites, such as nanofibrillated celluloses (NFCs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), are increasingly used as fillers in textile nanocomposites to enhance their mechanical characteristics due to their cost-effectiveness and recyclability. The advancements achieved in the field of nanocellulose-based materials and technology exhibit considerable promise in the development of ecologically friendly solutions across several industries.