The new nanotechnology material CNF is expected to be promoted in shoe making

Weighs only 20% of iron, but is 5 times stronger The new material CNF (Cellulouse Nanofibers), because the Japanese government intends to use the opportunity of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to actively promote it, is regarded as an excellent material to replace carbon fiber materials in the sporting goods market, and may break through the existing development bottleneck.

CNF is one of the nanofiber (Nanocellulose) materials. It consists of a variety of fibers or plastics crushed into nanoparticles and mixed evenly. It not only takes into account the characteristics of low weight and high strength of specific fibers, but also has a processability similar to plastics. , can be made by plastic injection molding, which is not only easier to make more complex shapes than carbon fiber, but also does not require complicated weaving procedures for carbon fiber, which is expected to lower manufacturing costs.

Currently, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry is actively promoting related research and development. The Institute of Industrial Technology (AIST), a research and development institution affiliated to the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Since the source of fiber used in CNF is plant fiber, whether it is waste wood or rice straw and rice husk, it can be recycled. Utilization, in addition to being beneficial to the manufacturing industry and the material industry, can also promote the development of agriculture and forestry.

In terms of practical products, CNF has strong toughness and light weight. Long-distance runners said that to improve their performance, the lighter the sports shoes, the better. It is 10% lighter than similar soles and more wear-resistant. It has been supplied to relevant factories as the soles of work shoes for reliability testing.

Although carbon fiber material soles also have a similar effect, when carbon fiber is to be processed into shoes with other materials, complex construction methods and new equipment are required. CNF can be directly made by the injection molding machine of the existing plastic sole; and CNF can also be used On plastic gloves or rubber tires, even cosmetics or paint can be applied, the market scope is far beyond the reach of carbon fiber.

However, there are still some problems to be overcome for CNF materials, because it is not easy to mix hydrophilic plant fibers and non-hydrophilic plastic materials evenly, and the current method requires a certain degree of heating, even if the fiber materials and plastic materials are cheap However, the power consumption is quite high, so that CNF is still classified as a high-priced material.

The best way to solve the production cost problem is to expand market demand and reduce costs through mass production. Therefore, the Industrial Technology Research Institute organized a nanofiber forum composed of 176 companies, and took the sports equipment orders of the Tokyo Olympics as the The goal is to hope that manufacturers will invest in equipment and increase production capacity to set prices in volume, so as to facilitate the listing of CNF materials at reduced prices.