Digital Cellulose Center is a Vinnova competence center which includes Linköping University, KTH, RISE. An article in  Ny Teknik, a weekly Swedish magazine in the field of technology and engineering, now highlights the centre’s recent successes in producing electronically conductive paper on a pilot scale.

The electrical properties are obtained by using conductive polymers and bio-based carbon attached to cellulose fibers. In collaboration with Ahlstrom-Munksjö, they have now succeeded in making continuously produced paper in an industry-like process, a step towards enabling large-scale production of the material.

– Going to a production that is more suitable for scaling up, and getting the paper on rolls, was much more difficult than we thought. We have needed to modify the cellulose to help the components stick together, says Isak Engquist, Linköping University.

The researchers see great potential in the flexible material for, among other things, smart packaging and storage of renewable energy.