Preparation of nanocellulose and its potential in reinforced composites: A review

Cellulose is a kind of natural polymer material, which is composed of bundle-like fibrils. By peeling the fibrils layer by layer, the size of cellulose can be nanocrystallized, and nanofibers and nanocrystals with unique and potentially useful features can be prepared. As an emerging functional polymer material, nanocellulose has become a research hotspot in the field of technology. This review discusses the preparation of nanocellulose, including the commonly used hydrolysis, oxidation, physical and environmentally friendly ionic liquid methods. The advantages and disadvantages of different methods are also compared. And the review introduced the application of nanofiberized cellulose and nanocellulose crystals in the fields of thermosetting and thermoplastics, such as polylactic acid, polypropylene, epoxy resin and so on. The critical factors in the manufacturing of nanocellulose composites and mechanical properties are discussed to provide a reference for the further application and development of nanocellulose.