CelluForce, a joint venture of Domtar Corporation and FPInnovations, has completed construction and started operations at Canada's first manufacturing plant for nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). NCC is a material derived from wood fibre that can be used as an additive to improve strength, durability, and toughness.
According to Pulp and Paper Canada, CelluForce has for the last eight weeks been progressively starting up the equipment for the first ever large-scale production of NCC.
CelluForce president and CEO Jean Moreau declared, "Wood pulp is being delivered to the plant to test the new equipment and we are making progress on a daily basis. NCC will start to be produced by the end of the year, with production gradually increasing until it reaches a steady rhythm of 1,000 kg per day in 2012."
CelluForce will, on a worldwide basis, market nanocrystalline cellulose for strength applications under the CelluForce Impact brand, and for optical applications of NCC under the CelluForce Allure brand.
