University of Maine “Wood Utilization Research” - 2006

Program Code: BB         Name: Wood Utilization      Proposal Number:  2006-06328

This research is broken out into 7 important research areas that will provide national benefits and also specific benefits to the northeast region. Research from prior University of Maine Wood Utilization Research (WUR) grants has already resulted in the efforts ranging from the development of new types of stronger wood structural composites using underutilized wood species to the development of new ways to prevent pollution and waste. Based on one example from our prior WUR research, a forest products company in Maine has invested $600,000 on an “oxygen delignification” system for use in pulping wood to make paper. This has resulting in reduced operating costs, a reduction in the mill’s overall pollution load, and a stabilization of employment in the region because of the greater viability of the mill. In another example of the benefits of the WUR research at the University of Maine, data was provided to help 17 northeastern mills to meet EPA mandates for pollutant emission, resulting in a savings of about $35,000 per mill.

The specific research objective that this research falls under is to improve the utilization of timber in the United States, and specifically, the utilization of timber resources in the northeastern United States. Because of the energy crisis facing the United States, improving the utilization of our forests, particularly as it relates to the conservation of energy and the production of bio-based products, is critical at this time. This research is also important because wood is one of the few natural resources that we produce in the United States for structural purposes and our research focuses not just on ways to make better products from wood, but on products that are produced in a sustainable manner.

All research proposed has been peer reviewed by respected, independent, scientists and engineers at other institutions and changes and revisions to the proposed research have been made in accordance with the review process. In addition, the University of Maine maintains a Peer Review process to measure the performance of the individual scientists and engineers conducting the research outlined in this proposal. The peer guidelines stress the importance of publishing in peer-reviewed journals to reach the widest possible public audience. All research outlined in this proposal will be completed within the three-year period of the grant.  A summary of the 7 research areas follows:

Improved Utilization of biomass for bioproducts

New technologies will be developed allowing woody biomass and debris to be used in the production of biofuels. Based on previous WUR research, which has resulted in a waste and pollution reduction technology currently being used by the paper making industry, we are now extending our research to ways to make our energy resources go further. In the currently proposed work, we will develop improved methods to separate waste components in the pulp mill. This will potentially allow one of these components (hemicellulose) to be used as a feedstock for biofuel production. The other component (lignin) is a highly valuable fuel source and can continue to be used as such. If successful, this research should allow the United States to reduce its dependence on foreign oil sources by substituting fuels produced from an economically feasible biobased fuels and chemicals pathway.

Environmentally Friendly Wood Protection

A new method to reinforce wooden poles and to prevent leaching of preservative chemicals from the poles into the environment will be tested.  The potential advantages of the process are not only that greater strength can be developed using the same amount of wood, but also that preservative effectiveness will be enhanced so that the poles will last longer, while preventing environmental contamination. Modeling of the test systems will be initialed before actual testing is conducted. All poles will be tested to full failure using a cantilever test method. A model will then be developed to determine both the flexibility/elasticity of the pole (MOE) as well as its failure strength (MOR). Finally we will evaluate the economic feasibility of producing the poles. With over 100 million utility poles in service in the United States, this research is vitally important for reducing the chemical leaching from these poles as well as in finding ways to improve their strength and extending their useful life.

New Products from Wood Plastic Composites

Wood plastic composites (WPCs) are the largest growing segment of the composites industry. They offer an attractive means of utilizing low-grade wood and, in some cases recycled plastics. Because not all WPCs can be produced from waste or recycled materials and because of the high cost of oil, it is desirable to find substitute materials for certain of the plastic components in the WPC materials. In this project we will 1) explore the utilization of wood ash as filler in wood plastic composites extrusion, 2) examine the processing and properties of nano calcium carbonate as filler in wood plastic composites, and 3) explore co-extrusion processing of wood plastic composite materials. If successful, the addition of the lower cost components or co-extrusion will permit WPCs with superior properties to be produced with less reliance on the polymeric components. As the manufacturing sector in the US continues to decline, the production of WPCs is one bright spot that is growing. It makes sense that we find ways to better utilize US produced raw materials for products that Americans require.

Nanotubes from Renewable Resources

Carbon nanotube (CNT) production is already revolutionizing technology and industry with many exciting new materials and applications. Within the next 5 years the field of Nanotechnology is predicted to become a critical driver of global economic growth and development. In our proposed research we will produce CNTs using wood from northeastern forests as the raw material for production.  Existing processes for CNT production use very high-energy processes such as “arc discharge” or “laser ablation” but the new method that we propose requires low energy input, and in addition no contaminating metals are used in the production. The production of carbon nanotubes from wood could provide a new way to utilize timber resources in the northeast and throughout the US and could potentially enhance that value of selected wood species because of the extraordinary electronic and mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes. In addition to their use in reinforced composites, CNTs have application potential in areas such as solar cells, lithium-ion batteries and various power applications, nano electronics, nanocatalyst, hydrogen storage, electromagnetic shielding, and biological sensors.

Biodegradation and Bioprocessing

Dry rot fungi are highly destructive wood decay fungi and pose significant threats to the integrity of wooden structures. The research proposed is important to the forest products industry because it focuses upon some of the most aggressive wood degradation agents known that destroy up to 10% of the yield from the forest each year. However, wood decay fungi can also be used for beneficial purposes such as the breakdown of biomass for the production of biofuels and to produce other useful bio-derived products. The organisms studied in this work are of interest because of their demonstrated ability to aggressively degrade wood and their apparent tolerance to certain wood preservatives. The potential use of microorganisms in biodegradation, biotransformation and biocatalysis is very important given the technical difficulties encountered in industrial processing of lignocellulose and the interest in shifting from petroleum to renewable biomass resources in providing new energy sources for the public.

Reduction of Air Pollution Associated with Wood Drying

Typically the number one request for information from the public with regard to wood and forest products relates to moisture in wood or wood drying. The issue of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) being emitted from wood undergoing drying in kilns is central to the wood drying issue and the state of Maine dries significant quantities of both softwood and hardwood. It is therefore important to investigate the causes of variation in estimated VOC release to provide information that allows compliance to the Legal mandates arising from the Clean Air and Water Act and its amendments. Although prior research has been conducted to determine VOC emissions from Maine timber species, the data are highly variable. Additional research is needed to determine how provenance (essentially, the place of origin), wood processing steps and heartwood/sapwood differences all affect VOC emissions. The research we will conduct in this project addresses this variability issue and, in addition, will better define the nature of the chemicals being released during the kiln drying processes. If successful, this research should result in the reduction of hazardous air pollutants from forest products operations in the northeastern United States.

Producing better wood composites by understanding strand placement

Industry is moving toward the use of longer strands of wood in the production of new types of wood composites.  Generally it is known that long strands will produce stronger composites, but the way in which the strands interact because of variable strand geometry also plays a role in determining the properties of the final product. Complicating the matter further is the difficulty in handling longer strands in production lines.  The research proposed here will be conducted using a combination of experimental studies as well as computational model studies.  The specific objectives are to: 1) Quantify the relationships between the increasing variability of strand geometry and flake alignment, 2) Determine the ways to provide the best alignment of wood strands when the strands are of variable length, and 3) Simulate how the strands interact using 3-dimensional visualization software to show how strands can best be fit together inside the final composite product.