According to a Bloomberg, New York, N.Y., USA, news report this week, Nippon Paper Industries Co. (Japan) plans to build a factory to mass produce a high-strength, low-weight nanofiber as early as next year. The company’s plans, the report notes, are "part of a push to bolster revenue as Japan’s shrinking population and the shift to online content threatens sales of newspapers and books."

Masayuki Kawasaki, head of Nippon Paper’s cellulose nanofiber business promotion office, was quoted in the article, saying that "we are pinning our hopes on the material as our biggest growth potential."  Annual sales of products that use the plant fibers could amount to billions of dollars in 15 years, he added. 

Cellulose nanofiber can be five times stronger than steel and one-fifth the weight. Since it is derived from organic materials like wood or orange peel, it is plentiful and environmentally friendly. Applications could range from slowing the melting of soft-serve ice cream to smartphone screens, to replacing steel in car bodies. Japan’s trade ministry has said the market may be worth some $8.2 billion by 2030.

The new nanofiber plant would have capacity 10 times or more of the company’s Iwakuni pilot plant that can produce 30 metric tons of nanofiber annually. The new factory would produce diapers and possible expand into food, cosmetics, and packaged products, according to the Bloomberg report, which added that Nippon’s nanofiber diapers eliminate odors much more than conventional nappies.

Nippon is reportedly also exploring the possible use of nanofibers in groceries and consumer goods, as well as industrial production, including autos. For food and cosmetics, "cellulose nanofibers as additives can be used once safety is ensured, but the volumes are not very big," Kawasaki said in the Bloomberg article. "While technological hurdles are high and time is required, the auto market is attractive.