commercialization by 2019/2020. The research is underway to find other sources of NCC including potato peel and sugar beet. Images of NCC produced from ...
SUPERIOR NANOCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE FROM TUNICATES Currently, there is increased interest in Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) in Canada to revive the pulp and paper industries and for enhancing sustainability in oil industries. The characteristics of NCC make paper stronger and gives enhance properties for various application. FPInnovation (not-for-profit world leader that specializes in the creation of innovative scientific solutions in support of the Canadian forest sector’s) invested 36 millions to develop a first commercial NCC demonstration plant in Quebec. Similar interest has also been seen in Alberta; specially for enhancing the lubrication properties to enhance the life of the mud drill and for producing color and odour less paints. A media release by Alberta Innovates in 2011 projected the market of NCC to be around $3 billion by 2020 with $100 million direct benefits to Alberta NCC producers. Other market analysis has predicted that the market size of NCC will be around 530 millions by 2020. In School of Sustainable Design Engineering, Dr. Acharya research group has developed method to extract NCC from tunicates. However, the process is in preliminary phase and needs further study for commercialization. Extraction of NCC from tunicates creates new market while addressing a major problem of mussel growers in PEI. As the largest mussel producer in Canada, PEI fishermen rely on their ability to pull healthy mussels from island waters. Tunicates have, over the past 20 years, caused a decline in the health of mussels, and in the ease of harvesting them. With a thriving tunicate population, it has become imperative to PEI fishermen that a solution is found. Since the mid-1990s, the coastal waters of PEI have become one of the most heavily invaded marine ecosystems in Canada. Invasive tunicate species have caused significant changes to PEI aquaculture. PEI's annual mussel exports total more than $30 million. By selective harvesting of tunicates, the impact on mussel production could be reduced. The increase in yield will increase the revenue for mussel industry while avoiding cost for operating system for cleaning tunicates during mussel harvesting. Currently, the system is developed for processing 5 gm of tunicates however the plan is to build the system for processing 1 kg of tunicates and then scale up for commercial production (1 ton/day). Our research is very timely as we plan to have a system with potential of commercialization by 2019/2020. The research is underway to find other sources of NCC including potato peel and sugar beet.
Images of NCC produced from Tunicates
Tunicates sourced NCC has higher aspect ratio – producing superior NCC then wood based cellulose
