Cellulose nanofibrils offer interesting potential as a native fibrous constituent of mechanical performance exceeding the plant fibers in current use for commercial products. In the present study, wood nanofibrils are used to prepare porous cellulose nanopaper of remarkably high toughness. Nanopapers of different porosities and from nanofibrils of different molar mass are prepared. Uniaxial tensile tests are performed and structure-property relationships are discussed. The high toughness of highly porous nanopaper is related to the nanofibrillar network structure and high mechanical nanofibril performance. Also, molar mass correlates with tensile strength. This indicates that nanofibril fracture controls ultimate strength. Furthermore, the large strain-to-failure means that mechanisms, such as interfibril slippage, also contributes to inelastic deformation in addition to deformation of the nanofibrils themselves.

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Films of high Young's modulus and low density are of interest for application as loudspeaker membranes. In the present study nanocomposite films were prepared from microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) and from MFC in combination with melamine formaldehyde (MF). The prepared materials were studied with respect to structure as well as physical and mechanical properties. Studies in SEM and calculation of porosity showed that these materials have a dense paper-like structure. The moisture sorption isotherms were measured and showed that moisture content decreased in the presence of MF. Mechanical properties were studied by dynamical mechanical thermal measurements as well as by tensile tests. Cellulose films showed an average Young's modulus of 14 GPa while the nanocomposites showed an average Young's modulus as high as 16.6 GPa and average tensile strength as high as 142 MPa. By controlling composition and structure, the range of properties of these materials can extend the property range available for existing materials. The combination of comparatively high mechanical damping and high sound propagation velocity is of technical interest.