Is er een nieuw tijdperk aangebroken en is "Cellulose nanofibres" de vervanger van Staal...?
Turning wood into car parts
The molecules of plant fibres are being transformed into a light-weight material five times stronger than steel that can be used to make everything from auto parts to electronic displays. No wonder the technology, called cellulose nanofibre, has piqued the interest of executives in Japan, where manufacturers in the world’s third-largest economy import almost all the metal and fuel they need. The new material is derived from common things like trees, rice straw and orange peel, which means supply is plentiful and more environmentally friendly than what’s used now.
While development is in the early stages, the government estimates domestic sales may be worth about US$8.3 billion in 15 years. The first commercial product is already out: a $2 pen that Mitsubishi Pencil Co. sells in North America. Cellulose nanofibres are also going to be an ingredient in adult diapers planned by Nippon Paper Industries Co., while Nissei Co. is considering using the stuff to slow the melting of soft-serve ice cream.
“Cellulose nanofibre itself could be an ace-in-the-hole for Japan’s industry,” said Hiroyuki Okaseri, a senior pulp and paper analyst at SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. in Tokyo. At a time when developed countries are looking for ways to curb carbon emissions, Japan sees commercial development of a plant-based building material as an attractive option to metals that require fossil fuels to mine, transport and process ore. The steel industry is the nation’s top polluter among manufacturers, accounting for more than 40 percent of industry emissions, government data show.
Leading the charge to a plant-based alternative are companies connected with the paper industry in Japan, where about 70 percent of the island nation is covered with forests. They’re looking for new markets and revenue as Japan’s shrinking population and the shift to more online content erode demand for books, newspapers and paper documents.
Seiko PMC Corp., a maker of chemicals for the paper industry, is offering potential customers cellulose nanofibre samples made at a pilot plant that began operating last year in Ibaraki prefecture, north of Tokyo. Papermaker Oji Holdings Corp. has teamed up with Nikko Chemicals Co. to develop the material for use in cosmetics such as cream foundations, gels, shampoo and mascara.
Developing cellulose nanofibre has gotten the backing of the government under measures enacted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe intended to revive Japan’s stagnant economy. The trade ministry has asked for 450 million yen for the year starting April 1 to develop the manufacturing process and study how the material can be used. In cooperation with the auto industry, the Ministry of the Environment sought 3.8 billion yen to assess the potential for improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions by using the lighter-weight material in vehicles.
While replacing steel won’t happen immediately, car bodies made of cellulose nanofibre are a possibility, according to Kentaro Doi, director of the environment ministry’s climate-policy division. The economy ministry estimates automotive uses could account for as much as 60 percent of the 1 trillion yen market within 15 years. That figure could rise many times when markets outside Japan are considered, Watanabe said.
En als we naar de Carbon/Co2 kijken .....