Biotechnological bulletproof vests
Biotechnologists of PSNIU will be able to make material for bulletproof vests from cellulose waste
At the technological base of Perm University, scientists have developed a new method for producing nanocellulose. This material, which surpasses steel in its strength, can be used in various industries – from super-flexible screens to bulletproof vests. Currently, there is no production of nanocellulose in Russia.
Created under the development program of the National Research University, the Laboratory of Cellular and Microbial Biotechnologies of PSNIU in cooperation with the Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences for the first time received nanocellulose biotechnologically.
The newest method of obtaining nanocellulose reduces the cost of its production by 3.5 times. It involves six stages, one of which produces pure cellulose fibers and removes lignin, an impurity that reduces the quality of the material. Scientists have found a special strain of mold fungi Aspergillus niger, which allows you to effectively destroy lignin.
Laboratory of Cellular and Microbial Biotechnologies
"We plan to use various cellulose-containing materials as raw materials, including waste from pulp and paper mills, which are formed in large quantities and pose a serious danger to the environment. There are more than 8 million tons of non–recycled waste in the Perm Territory alone," says Elvira Pozyumko, an employee of the Laboratory of Cellular and Microbial Biotechnologies at PSNIU.
Nanocellulose has a unique property of pseudoplasticity – it is viscous under normal conditions, behaves like a liquid under mechanical action and is super-strong in the solid state. "The structure of this material is represented by a densely packed array of needle-like crystals. This determines its strength, which exceeds stainless steel," says Alexander Maksimov, Head of the Biocatalysis and Biosynthesis sector of the Laboratory of Microbial and Cellular Biotechnologies.
Nanocellulose
The resulting product has extensive fields of application. On its basis, ultralight and heavy-duty materials are created: various parts of products, structures, machines, as well as super-flexible screens, bulletproof vests and other armored products. In medicine and pharmacology, nanocellulose is used as sorbents and dressings. Also, due to its ability to effectively fill the cracks, it can be used as an adhesive material to eliminate technical defects.
According to the developers, the new method of obtaining nanocellulose will allow the technology to be implemented at industrial and small enterprises of the Perm Region, with some of which there are already cooperation agreements.
For reference
Nanocellulose is a nanoscale cellulose fiber, the width of which is 5-20 nm, the length is from 10 nm to several microns. It has properties such as pseudoplasticity and super strength. It is a colloidal solution that does not delaminate and does not form a precipitate. It has an increased viscosity, forming a gel-like mass.
Lignin is a complex polymer compound contained in the cell walls and intercellular space of plants and binds cellulose fibers. Hardwood contains 18-24% lignin, coniferous – 27-30%.
The Laboratory of Microbial and Cellular Biotechnologies was established as part of the implementation of the program of the National Research University. The laboratory's activities are related to such areas as biocatalysis and biosynthesis technologies for the production of industrially significant substances and materials, the development of clinical diagnostic tools, the improvement of methods for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, research in the field of molecular genetics and biotechnology, the creation of high-performance diagnostic systems, as well as PCR research: the identification of infectious and genetic diseases, the isolation and cloning of new genes.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru21.04.2015