Fabrication of nanocellulose-based long and strong fiber via aligning processes of cellulose nanofibers

Nanocellulose-based long fiber (NLF) is a key element of natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites which have ultimate impact for the future technology, owing to its merits in terms of high specific modulus, high strength, environmentally-friendliness and low cost. In this study, NLF is made by aligning cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), which are isolated from wood pulp by a chemical and physical methods. A high degree of alignment of the CNFs leads to increased number of hydrogen bonds among CNFs with enhanced mechanical properties of NLF. In this study, wet spinning, mechanical stretching, electric field and magnetic fields are used simultaneously or continuously to align CNFs effectively. To fabricate strong NLF, the process parameters are experimentally investigated, and their effects are evaluated by using the tensile test, scanning electron microscope.