Cellulose a Potential Silica Replacement – Study
Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) in the US have come across a potential replacement for silica as a reinforcing filler in tyres. Microcrystalline cellulose, which can be produced from almost any type of plant fibre, is a micrometer-sized type of crystalline cellulose that can be produced through the low-cost process of acid hydrolysis using cellulose, the component that comprises about 40 to 50 per cent of wood.