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Using Cellulose Nanofibrils and Calcium Carbonate in Single-Use Utensils
Summary
This study investigated cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) mixed with calcium carbonate as a biodegradable replacement for single-use plastic utensils and cup lids, finding that pressing water from the mixture before drying reduced shrinkage, and that a continuous paper-machine-based production process could be cost-competitive with conventional plastic manufacturing.
As humanity becomes aware of the environmental issues that come from plastics, substitutes for single-use plastic are needed. Straws, expanded polystyrene, and grocery bags especially have been placed under scrutiny, but there is a need to replace other single use plastics such as eating utensils and cup lids. In this thesis, the properties of cellulose nanofibrils and calcium carbonate mixtures are characterized to determine the feasibility of their use as a plastic replacement. Using cellulose nanofibrils poses two challenges: 1) it shrinks when dried causing difficulty in forming an object, and 2) it is produced in a 3 weight percent solids suspension leading to a lot of water to remove. Pressing the water out before drying the mixture decreases shrinkage and saves money in heating utilities. Additionally, pressing the water out of the mixture decreases the shrinkage when the utensils are dried. A techno-economic analysis was performed and it was found that using a continuous refining system and a paper-machine based process to make the utensils was found to be comparable to the cost of making plastic utensils. This thesis analyzes the dewatering of CNF and CaCO3 mixtures and the economics of creating utensils from them.