Nanocellulose Characterization Challenges

Nanocellulose (NC) materials have unique properties and functionalities, due to their nanosize, morphology, and huge surface area, and these characteristics open many application areas that were once thought unbelievable for cellulose materials (Blanco et al. 2018; Dufresne 2019; Isogai 2020). The potential use of NC has expanded across a broad spectrum of high-performance material applications in different sectors as adhesives, cement, paper and cartonboard products, fluids, nanocomposites, films, cosmetics, paints, ABSTRACT Despite the extraordinary properties of nanocellulose (NC), as confirmed through two decades of exhaustive research, addressing an array of potential applications, the NC market is still far from reaching its full potential. Among the main causes is the lack of process-adapted measuring tools capable of characterizing NC, at acceptable speed and reliability, to meet the industrial demands in a cost-effective way. Therefore, reliable characterization methodologies of NC and new standards are of paramount importance in ensuring reproducible research results and quality control specifications for present and future NC products and applications. Furthermore, the successful industrial use of NC products depends on critical parameters that are still being identified and studied. This review paper aims to identify some of the current drawbacks and limitations in NC characterization that hinder their commercial deployment. Moreover, important challenges related to characterization and new opportunities for future research in this field are addressed.