In a notable stride towards sustainability, Scientists have engineered a more energy-efficient method of processing nano cellulose, cutting energy use by 21%. As the Oak Ridge National Laboratory reported, this advancement sprang from molecular simulations on their high-caliber supercomputers, transitioning into pilot testing that underscored the method’s success.
The process uses a water-based mix of sodium hydroxide and urea to cut the cost of making nano cellulosic fiber. This fiber is strong, lightweight, and practical for 3D printing in sustainable housing and car parts. Traditional methods were energy-intensive, but the team from ORNL, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and the University of Maine improved it by using computer models on the Frontier supercomputer, the fastest for open science.
"These simulations, looking at every single atom and the forces between them, provide detailed insight into not just whether a process works, but exactly why it works," Jeremy Smith told ORNL, elaborating on the precision and depth that such computational analyses offer. Following the simulations, pilot experiments confirmed a 21% energy savings using the solvent compared to water, which was further outlined in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Monojoy Goswami from ORNL pointed out that separating and drying nanocellulose fiber uses energy the most. His team used advanced computers to speed up this process, which could take years otherwise. By combining ORNL's expertise in computing, materials science, and manufacturing with the University of Maine's knowledge of forestry products, they aim to create more precise and cost-effective solutions.
These researchers' efforts are backed by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) and the ORNL-U-Maine partnership within the Hub & Spoke Sustainable Materials & Manufacturing Alliance for Renewable Technologies Program (SM2ART), which aims to evolve the manufacturing landscape towards using sustainable biomaterials for a myriad of applications.
The team plans to find cheaper ways to produce nanocellulose and work with other materials to make stronger composites for advanced manufacturing. Their work will continue at the DOE's Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, with support from a national network focused on improving U.S. manufacturing. Scientists from the UT-ORNL Center for Molecular Biophysics, ORNL, the University of Maine, and the University of Tennessee are also involved in this project. As noted by ORNL's announcement, all play crucial roles in this scientific venture.
