Nanosized cellulose fibrils

Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer in nature. It gives plants and trees their defined shapes and structures. The basic structural ele- ment of a wood fiber is called an elementary fibril. The length of a fibril is several micrometres, while the diameter varies from 4 nm to 200 nm. In UPM Biofibrils products, these nanosized cellulose fibrils and fibril bundles, have been separated and purified from wood pulp by a proprietary process. After the fibrils have been fully separated, the product forms highly viscous dispersions in water. UPM Biofibrils hydro- gels are shear thinning and viscoplastic materials which have remarkably high zero shear viscosity and yield stress. Thus, the product can be utilised as an efficient stabiliser for various heterogeneous systems. UPM Biofibrils works as an efficient stabiliser in concrete and grouts where low viscosity and a thixotropic rheology in combination with controlled yield stress are required.