Japanese Developer Targets Autos for Cellulose Nanofiber

Japan’s Oji Holdings Corp. plans to launch production of a lightweight cellulose nanofiber late next year to replace steel and glass in unspecified automotive, aerospace, smartphone and organic light-emitting diode applications.

The paper company, which developed the technology with Mitsubishi Chemical Co., has been supplying samples to potential customers for several months. Oji claims the plant-based nanofiber weighs one-fifth as much as steel but is five times stronger.

The nanofiber has properties similar to those of carbon fiber but promises to be half the cost once volume production begins in 2020. The material also offers environmental benefits over petroleum-derived carbon fiber.

Oji is investing about $19 million to upgrade its plant in Ishinomaki, Japan,  to make the fiber. The company developed a special phosphate esterification chemical treatment for the material, which it says reduces energy requirements for the refinement process.

Several other companies in Europe and the U.S. also are developing cellulose nanofiber materials. But Oji is expected to be first to market.