Functionality and applications of biomass-derived novel porous structures with toughness and transparency

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H04524
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Wood science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Saito Tsuguyuki 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 准教授 (90533993)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 斎藤 幸恵 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 准教授 (30301120)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: セルロースナノファイバー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We compared the heat transfer properties of novel foams and aerogels consisting of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs). The foams feature rather closed, microscale pores formed with a thin film-like solid phase, whereas the aerogels feature nanoscale open pores formed with a nanofibrous network-like solid skeleton. Unlike the aerogel samples, the thermal diffusivity of the foam decreases considerably with a slight increase in the solid fraction. The results indicate that for suppressing the thermal diffusion of air within high porosity solids, creating microscale spaces with distinct partitions is more effective than directly blocking the free path of air molecules at the nanoscale. Other investigations include the preparation of porous CNF structures by ambient-pressure drying and also the formation of CNF-derived nanocarbon structures.

Free Research Field

木質科学