At CelluComp, we market Curran® as an MFC.
In reality, there is more to it. Intrigued?
You are among many, so read on and we'll reveal all:
What is Microfibrillated Cellulose (MFC)?
Firstly, we need to understand what MFC actually is. MFC is commonly derived from wood, which is rich in cellulose. The cellulose is made up of packages of individual fibres generally known as microfibrils. Using an energy-intensive fibrillation process, these microfibrils can be liberated into a network of entwined fibrils best known as microfibrillated cellulose (MFC). Going back to wood, if you think how strong a tree is, you can understand that the individual fibres that make the tree must be also very strong. The cells are tightly packed together and held in tact with a multitude of lignen, which acts like a glue. Due to the strength of these small individual fibres, MFC is more commonly being used in industry to bring strength and sturdiness to a wide range of products.
The founders of CelluComp - back in the good old days of 2004 - knew of the strength of MFC but were not keen on the idea of the energy intensive process to obtain them from wood. This opened up the concept that cellulose could be found in a multitude of other natural products. The question was whether or not they could be liberated from these other sources using less energy.
When is MFC a unique MFC?
At CelluComp, we have conducted research into many different raw materials as a source for obtaining MFC. They all had one thing in common – root vegetables. Whether we worked with neeps or tatties (turnips & potatoes for all those without Scottish origin) the results were very similar. We were able to extract the cellulose from the root vegetables with a significantly less energy intensive process than that normally used on wood. This more energy efficient process allows the team at CelluComp to extract the cellulose and form MFC platelets. The extracted platelets are made up as a mesh of the microfibrilated cellulose. These platelets have virtually the same functionalities as individual fibres, which means that they have just as much strength as those derived from wood.
So, when is an MFC a unique MFC? When its produced by CelluComp and called Curran®.
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