Cellulose: The science behind this material, its properties and multiple uses

2023-06-02 23:28:20

Various investigations have positioned cellulose as a potential alternative to plastic. For this reason, Consuelo Fritz, a researcher and academic from the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Nature Conservation of the University of Chile, and a Forest Engineering student, Nicolás Pérez, provide keys to understanding what cellulose is and what its multiple aspects are. Applications.

Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer on our planet and one of the most important in the forestry sector. This is a linear polysaccharide composed of hundreds to thousands of glucose units, the fundamental component of the wall of plant cells present in plants, wood and natural fibers. In this way it defines cellulose, consolation fritzacademic from the Department of Forest Products Development of the Faculty of Forestry Sciences and Nature Conservation of the U. de Chile.

In recent times, this biopolymer has been the protagonist of different investigations that seek new ways of taking advantage of it, according to Professor Fritz. “I work with nanocellulose, which basically means using cellulose from this large biopolymer and cutting it, to put it simply, into a material on a nanometric scale. Cellulose, being on this nanometric scale, has very different properties and characteristics from the normal cellulose we know”, explains the academic.

Cellulose has many uses and applications in our daily lives, for example, as paper and packaging. This is how he points out nicholas perez, Forest Engineering student at the University of Chile. “Currently, we can see cellulose everywhere, mainly in paper, cardboard, in different attributes or day-to-day objects, such as wrappers., in general. And today art is being made, innovation with cellulose, because it can be used for different adhesives and made in a much more sustainable way”, he explains.

To learn more about Cellulose and how it is produced, we invite you to review the new capsule of What is U? now available on the channel Youtube from the University of Chile.