Rhino-Inspired Cellulose Fibres Combine Strength And Biodegradability
Researchers from Anhui Agricultural University and Zhejiang University have developed high-performance cellulose fibres that combine the strength of advanced synthetic fibres with toughness comparable to spider silk, inspired by rhino horns. The fully biodegradable material could offer a renewable alternative for textiles, technical products and other demanding fibre applications.
Overcoming Cellulose’s Performance Limits
Replacing petroleum-based fibres with biobased alternatives could help reduce persistent microplastic pollution. However, regenerated cellulose fibres often lack the mechanical performance required for structural or heavy-duty applications.
Although cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer on Earth and its crystalline regions can theoretically achieve strengths above 7 GPa, conventional production methods introduce defects and disordered molecular structures. As a result, the tensile strength of regenerated cellulose fibres generally remains below 3 GPa. Increasing strength can also reduce toughness, making it difficult to achieve both properties simultaneously.
A Structure Inspired By Rhinoceros Horns
The researchers addressed this limitation with a hydrodynamic twisting process inspired by the hierarchical keratin structure of rhinoceros horns. This naturally twisted architecture helps horns withstand strong impacts without breaking.
During production, an asymmetric microfluidic field applies controlled torque to a flowing cellulose solution. This creates continuous twisted structures within the fibres. Chemical and physical interactions then lock the ordered arrangement in place as the material solidifies, limiting the accumulation of defects.
Experiments and molecular dynamics simulations indicate that this architecture distributes stress more evenly and enables effective load transfer throughout the fibre. Under optimised conditions, the resulting cellulose metafibres, or Meta-CFs, reached a maximum tensile strength of 3.29 GPa and a toughness of 349.5 MJ/m³.
Scaling Up For Practical Applications
To produce thicker, high-load structures, the team combined individual Meta-CFs into bundles. A calcium alginate coating and surface cross-linking prevented the fibres from slipping past one another. The resulting bundles retained GPa-level tensile strength while preserving an entirely biomass-derived, biodegradable composition.
As a practical demonstration, the researchers used the material to produce trimmer lines for lawn and vegetation maintenance. During 30-minute cutting tests, these lines showed wear resistance and mass loss comparable to commercial nylon products.
Unlike nylon fragments, which can remain in soil as microplastics, the cellulose fibre and its wear debris reportedly biodegraded completely within 49 days. The technology could therefore help address microplastic pollution in agricultural and landscaping applications. It may also provide a basis for developing strong, renewable fibres for fashion, product design and technical textiles.
Source: Science China Press via EurekAlert!
Photo: Chané Timmerman