HUST promotes cooperation in nanocellulose technology

Kim Chan Joong, CEO of CelluFab, affirmed the cooperation with Hanoi University of Science and Technology is a typical example of developing advanced green technology, contributing to environmental protection and global reduction of carbon emissions.

The signing ceremony of the MoU between Hanoi University of Science and Technology and CelluFAB Company and the Memorandum of Cooperation between the School of Chemical Engineering and CelluFAB Company on the establishment of the Nanocellulose and Application Research Center at HUST has just been held on 3/3.

Speaking at the opening of the signing ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Huynh Dang Chinh, HUST Vice President, said that this was a very special project because the cooperation between the two sides comes originally from the enterprise. He believes that this project will bring great success with products ready to be commercialized.



“CelluFAB-SCE Nanocellulose and Application Research Center” (CHRC), funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), was established for research and development of nanocellulose-related technology, with a focus on the manufacture of nanocellulose from bagasse and other wood and non-timber materials, or nanocellulose-based secondary products.

In addition, the Center will perform a local demonstration test function under ‘KOICA’s CTS1 Project' implemented by CelluFAB and conduct research services on manufacturing nanocellulose technology and applications in Vietnam and over the world.
 

Cho Han Deog, Director of the Korea International Cooperation Agency in Vietnam, shared that the organization is very interested in science, technology, and innovation projects that greatly contribute to sustainable development and climate change mitigation. This is why the KOICA is attentive to scientific research from a prestigious academic environment with high quality such as Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

According to Assoc. Prof. Le Quang Dien, Head of the research group "Basic chemicals and new materials based on lignocellulose" of the School of Chemical Engineering, the research direction of nanocellulose materials has been implemented at Hanoi University of Science and Technology for several years. This new method can be applied to many different sources of raw materials and is in the process of intellectual property registration.

Wood, bagasse, rice straw, and rice husk... are potential renewable natural lignocellulose materials in Vietnam. The research team from the School of Chemical Engineering has achieved great success in the method of making nanocellulose from various sources of lignocellulose biomass, aiming to produce new materials on a semi-industrial scale and apply the technology to different fields.

The highlight of the nanocellulose fabrication method is that the technology has been developed to produce products on a large scale while remaining low-cost and environment-friendly. The product is expected to be widely applied in many fields such as construction, medicine, and biomedical...

Before the signing ceremony, both parties organized many meetings for exchanges of knowledge and information. Vietnamese scientists also sent product samples manufactured and tested at a laboratory scale to Korea.

Director of CelluFab Kim Chan Joong expressed his hope to develop the technology into an environmentally friendly product when working with the "experienced research team at HUST".

The project will focus on the application of nanocellulose for the production of concrete and other construction materials by using the additive nanocellulose from bagasse - an agricultural by-product of sugarcane production, instead of traditional production method from cement and stone which accounts for 79% of emissions in the industrial production sector. The technology of natural biomass sources will play an important role in opening up new markets for environmentally friendly products, with the long-term aim of significantly reducing the greenhouse effect, one of the pressing global issues currently.
 

The establishment of the CelluFAB-SCE Nanocellulose and Application Research Center not only strengthens facilities for training and scientific research but also promotes the university’s technological transfer through cooperation with foreign enterprises.

In the first year, the CHRC plans to improve the nanocellulose technology at the laboratory scale. Building production lines on a semi-industrial scale and product application will be further developed in the next 5 years.