Materials for Design

Cellulose

Cellulose is one of nature’s ingredients that we have fully exploited, managing to identify, extract and apply it to many diverse uses. Unlike many of the materials featured in this book, it’s not possible to provide a quick snapshot of the typical applications of cellulose; its uses are far too many, ranging from Korean craft papers to Shigeru Ban’s architecture.

One of the main structural constituents of plant cellulose has been used as an ingredient to make plastics for ping-pong balls, plastic sunglasses, screwdriver handles, early film stock, fibres and textiles and, of course, paper in its many forms. Its use in all these areas is partly due to the fact that it reacts easily with other chemicals such as acetic and nitric acids, ...