BACKGROUNDThe effects of the conditions for the supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO(2)) drying of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) wet gel were investigated on the residual solvent content, the shrinkage and the microstructure of the ensuing aerogel. RESULTSThe scCO(2) drying of CNC wet gel could be divided into a spillage phase and an extraction phase. In the first phase, just a very short time after the beginning of drying, shrinkage occurred and more than half of the solvent was removed. No further shrinkage was observed thereafter, but the solvent continued to be exponentially removed. Increasing pressure, temperature and time were favorable for solvent removal and the reduction of aerogel shrinking. The shrinkage increased the pore size inside the aerogel and made the outer surface of the CNC aerogel much denser than its interior. To preserve the original microstructure of the wet gel, the optimal drying was performed at 11.04MPa and 40 degrees C for 120min. At these conditions, the shrinkage ratio was only inversely proportional to the CNC content in the wet gel. CONCLUSIONCNC aerogel was obtained with a shrinkage ratio of 3.1%, a surface area of 387m(2)g(-1) and an average pore size of 7.2nm using 3.0% (w/w) CNC wet gel. (c) 2019 Society of Chemical Industry