News Bioeconomy
Celluforce’s NCC has a few promising applications

Celluforce is a few steps closer to bringing its nanocrystalline cellulose product to market, participants at PaperWeek Canada heard on Feb. 3. CEO Sebastien Corbeil shared a few lessons learned and described a few near-commercial applications for this unique bio-based additive.

Corbeil noted that when Celluforce was first trying to enter the market, there were about 100 applications that were thought to be suitable. Those have now been weaned down to six target markets.

One application in the adhesives market is already commercial, and Celluforce is expanding its customer base in this field, said Corbeil.
In the oil and gas market, Celluforce is working on five specific applications to do with rheology modification and drilling fluids. Corbeil said two applications will be ready for commercial trials this year.

For pulp and paper markets, Corbeil spoke of an application to do with wet-end chemistry that will undergo commercial trials this year.

Among the less well-developed markets, the company is still pursing uses for NCC in cement, paints and coatings, and resins and composites.

Celluforce is not manufacturing currently, but expects to resume operations at the facility at Domtar’s Windsor, Que., mill in 2017. Corbeil says the company has enough material stockpiled for its current needs.