Nanocellulose Materials Market Expected to Reach $2.2 Billion by 2031—Allied Market Research

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Nanocellulose Materials Market," The nanocellulose materials market size was valued at $0.4 billion in 2021, and is estimated to reach $2.2 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 20.1% from 2022 to 2031.

Nanocellulose such as cellulose nanofibers (CNF), microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), or cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), can be made from any cellulose source material, while woodpulp is commonly utilized as a light solid substance derived from plant materials. Nanocellulose is a high-performance additive that has been utilized effectively in a variety of high-performance materials and applications as a rheological modifier, reinforcing agent, and additive.  Nanocellulose materials is utilized to make high-performance renewable composites due to its strong tensile qualities, low density, and low toxicity.

The growth of the global nanocellulose market is majorly attributable to its wide applications in various industries such as pulp & paper, composites, pharmaceutical & biomedical, electronics, food & beverage, personal care & cosmetics, and others.

Further, rise in demand for nanocellulose from packaging industry is driving the market growth during the forecast period. Nanocellulose packaging products are manufactured using plastics, paper & boards, or metals. The concept of 'active packaging' techniques, which incorporate nanoparticles into polymers, is gaining interest in order to increase the sustainability of the packaging industry. Active packaging solution is a packing material used to wrap foods, as it can also be added to the packaged food in the form of a sachet, label, box, and other item.

In January 2022, a professor from Rutgers University's Department of Food Science collaborated with ProAmpac, a flexible packaging and material science player. A new partnership has been formed with ProAmpac's Material Science and Innovation team to assist the business in fulfilling its promise of providing active and intelligent nanocellulose food packaging.

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) packaging offers superior physical and chemical properties than plant-based cellulose and may be produced by fermentation from raw recyclable materials. CNF and other nanocellulose packaging materials have the potential to improve water vapour and oxygen shielding properties, shelf life, and food quality. The advancement in packaging improves the qualities of packaging products while simultaneously addressing the recycling problem. Due to their outstanding microbiological contamination resistance, these innovative composite packaging materials have seen a tremendous increase in demand from the food industry.

However, high production costs of nanocellulose are projected to hinder the expansion of the market. On the contrary, growing interest in nanocellulose 3D printing in the chemical industry is expected to offer ample growth opportunities for the nanocellulose materials industry. 

The nanocellulose materials market is segmented into type, application, and region. On the basis of type, the market is categorized into cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), bacterial cellulose (BC), micro fibrillated cellulose (MFC), and others.

On the basis of application, the market is categorized into pulp & paper, composites, pharmaceutical & biomedical, electronics, food & beverage, personal care & cosmetics, and others. Composites segment is the fastest growing segment with the highest CAGR. Nanocellulose composites are employed in a variety of sectors, including food and pharmaceutical, smart materials, packaging, coatings, and upholstery.

Nanocellulose composites have largely replaced plastics due to their biodegradability and non-toxicity. Pure nanocellulose composites are used as materials displays as they have significantly improved features due to the smaller size of the dispersed phase and its efficient dispersion in the polymer matrix. Nanocellulose composite materials are widely employed in the automotive and aerospace industries.  Composite materials can be utilized to increase strength-to-weight ratios and provide water resistance. 

Further, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are regarded as a potential nanocellulose composite for a variety of applications due to their appealing physicochemical qualities, which include large surface area, exceptional mechanical and thermal strength, and electrochemical activity. CNTs are used in wastewater treatment as its high surface area and the presence of various functional groups in functionalized CNTs allow for improved adsorption of harmful metal ions or other chemical moieties.

Graphene nanocellulose composites are primarily used in electronics and semiconductors, where graphene nanocomposites are required in flexible radio frequency identification tags, thin film transistors, various types of sensors, supercapacitors, photovoltaic and transparent conductors, touch screen points, optical limiters, optical frequency converters, and terahertz devices.

Region-wise, the nanocellulose materials market share is studied across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. The major players operating in the global nanocellulose materials market include Sappi, NIPPON PAPER INDUSTRIES CO., LTD., GranBio, DKS Co. Ltd., Kao Corporation, SEIKO PMC CORPORATION, CelluForce, Kruger Inc., Anomera, Inc., and ANPOLY INC.

Key findings of the study

• By type, the cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) segment was the highest revenue contributor to the nanocellulose materials market 2021 and is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 20.0%.
• Based on application, the pulp and paper segment dominated the nanocellulose materials market in 2021.
• By region, Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region with a CAGR of 20.5%.