The National Institute of Forest Science has developed a technology that can reduce energy usage by about 70% in the mass production of cellulose nanofibers.
The Korea Forest Service’s National Institute of Forest Science announced their research achievements in the biomass field at the ‘2025 Spring International Conference of the Korean Society of Industrial Chemistry’ held from June 2 to 5. The conference covered 18 fields of industrial chemistry, including pulp, paper, polymers, and nanomaterials, and facilitated technical exchanges with overseas researchers through international symposia involving Korea, China, and Japan, as well as English sessions.
The National Institute of Forest Science optimized the process for large-scale production of cellulose nanofibers using domestically distributed pulp, achieving a 70% reduction in energy usage compared to existing methods. They improved manufacturing conditions to increase chemical reaction efficiency, and these results were published in the scientific journal ‘RSC Advances.’
Additionally, the research presented included studies on the introduction of cationic and anionic elements into cellulose nanofibers, comparisons of absorption capacities when activated carbon and starch are input, technology for producing graphite using woody biomass, and the effects of biochar manufacturing from by-products on air pollution reduction.
Researcher Sang-Jin Jeon from the National Institute of Forest Science stated, “Energy savings in carbon-based chemical processes are urgently needed,” adding that “We will continue to focus on improving production process efficiency and developing material technology utilizing biomass.”