Usually, hydrolysis is carried out in a narrow window of sulfuric acid concentrations (57~65 wt.%) , and even small variations in the acid concentration result in significant CNC yield and properties variation. When harsher acidic conditions are used (64 wt.% H2SO4), the CNCs have large double electrical layers that render them suitable for photonic applications . As a rheology modifier or additive in polymer processing , CNCs with lower surface charge density and higher degree of polymerization are suited best and can be manufactured using lower sulfuric acid concentrations (~61 wt.%). The sulfuric acid hydrolysis conditions also strongly affect process yield: 64 wt.% H2SO4 results in ~30% yield whilst ~61 wt.% H2SO4 results in ~70% CNC yield . Variation of process parameters that lead to CNCs with different structural properties can potentially have significant effect on the life cycle impacts of the final product.