Sustainable Alternative to Military-Grade Propellants Emerging from Research

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember in Surabaya, Indonesia, have developed a sustainable alternative to military-grade propellants. The team, led by Bayu Hanif Priambodo, created a method to extract high-purity a-cellulose from the invasive aquatic plant water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). This cellulose can be used to produce nitrocellulose (NC), a key component in military-grade propellants.

The research, published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, found that the extracted cellulose had a high purity level of 93.20% and could be used to produce NC with military-grade qualities. The study also included a life cycle assessment (LCA) using the ReCiPe 2016H End-Point approach, which highlighted the need for process optimization to improve sustainability.

Key Takeaways:

  • The research team used water hyacinth, a locally abundant and invasive aquatic plant, as a sustainable feedstock for bio-cellulose polymers.
  • The extracted cellulose had a high purity level of 93.20 ± 0.18% and could be used to produce nitrocellulose (NC) with military-grade qualities.
  • The LCA found that the stability phase was the most environmentally intensive step in the process.
  • The study highlights the potential environmental and strategic benefits of using water hyacinth as a feedstock for domestic NC manufacture.
  • The research team emphasized the need for process optimization to improve the general sustainability level of the production process.
  • The study included a comprehensive review of the current state of NC production and the challenges associated with importing premium cellulose sources.

Statistics:

  • The extracted cellulose had a high purity level of 93.20 ± 0.18%.
  • The nitrogen concentration in the synthetic NC was 13.43%.
  • The solubility of the synthetic NC was 98.19%.
  • The life cycle assessment (LCA) found that the stability phase was the most environmentally intensive step in the process, with significant effects on Human Health (355.28), Ecosystems (30.45), and Resource Depletion (1.26).
  • The study highlights the need for process optimization to improve the general sustainability level of the production process.

Sources:

  • Water hyacinth as feedstock for bio-cellulose polymers: Potential energetic materials and life cycle assessment for military sustainability. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2025:146923.
  • NewsRx. Report Summarizes Military Medicine Study Findings from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (Water hyacinth as feedstock for bio-cellulose polymers: Potential energetic materials and life cycle assessment for military sustainability). Ecology, Environment & Conservation. September 19, 2025; p 130.