Joint Project by the Faculty of Design and Faculty of Agriculture:
Deplasticization using a new material called nanocellulose

The clothes we normally wear are made of synthetic fibers, or of natural fibers such as cotton and silk. Even using natural fibers, producing fashion requires a great deal of water and fertilizer. This means fashion undoubtedly places a heavy burden on the global environment. With this in mind, in May 2018, the SDGs Design Unit went in search of eco-fashion materials, researched Hakata-ori traditional textiles in Fukuoka and paper-pressing techniques in neighboring Saga Prefecture, and explored the potential of various materials.

The investigation focused on nanocellulose, which is derived from cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls, untangled to the nano level. The substance is eight times stronger than steel but just one-fifth the weight. It is a natural fiber that is gentle to the human body, and in recent years has been extensively studied by major companies and research institutes. At Kyushu University, Professor Tetsuo Kondo of the Faculty of Agriculture had already been conducting research on nanocellulose made from bamboo, but there was room to apply the strengths of idea creation, a specialty in the Faculty of Design. This led to a joint project between the SDGs Design Unit and the Kyushu University Faculty of Agriculture. We look forward to future developments that leverage the power of design to draw out the potential of nanocellulose materials.