Inorganicorganic Nanocomposites

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Inorganic-organic Nanocomposites Nanoscale
Surface ModificationEnergy Consumption
Reduced Capital Costs

• Ted Wegner
• USDA Forest Service
• Forest Products Laboratory
• June 15, 2007

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Nanocomposites
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Technical Challenges Understand control
surface chemical reactivity Characterization
of structures at nanoscale Measurement of
physical properties at nanoscale Multiple
material compatibility Directed self assembly
of nano-components
Focus Area 4 Inorganic-organic nanocomposites
nanoscale surface modification Target Produce
nano-composite materials from forest materials
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Strength of Materials building blocks and
interfaces
Gecko Feet
Source K Autumn, PNAS 2006
Source Gao, Fratzl et al, PNAS 2004
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Perceived Issues with Wood-based Composites

• Low strength and stiffness with eventual
  rheological/creep problems
• Poor durability and water-related problems
• Limited service life
• Limited or poor fire performance
• Requirement for enhanced performance, durability,
  fire resistance, and service life in
  non-residential construction

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Nanotechnology Advanced Wood-based Composites

• Natural composite components
• Combined wood and natural biofiber composites
  possessing synergistic performance and service
  life using bio-based resins
• Totally bio-based, sustainable composites
• High-performance bio-based composites using
  inorganic binders or natural bio-based binders
  such as lignin
• Biomimetic composites
• Self-healing systems that include resins or
  sub-systems that reactivate when they sense
  degeneration of bond properties or mechanical
  displacement
• Recycled materials
• Systems that promote use of recycled materials
• Systems that enhance its later recyclability

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Nanotechnology Advanced Wood-based Composites

• Smart composites
• Systems that sense and warn users of mechanical
  overload
• Systems that sense moisture and warn users of its
  presence
• Systems that sense fungal or enzymatic activity
  and react to suppress it
• Systems that sense fire and react to suppress and
  extinguish it
• Additives (such as wax, preservative chemicals,
  fire retardants)
• Systems that enhance bonding by acting as
  coupling agents
• Systems that result in water-resistanteven
  water-proofconstituent materials
• Binders
• New bio- or synthetic-based binders with enhanced
  performance
• Environmentally responsible and sustainable
  binder systems

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New Markets Needed !!
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Nanotechnology for Reduced Energy Consumption
Reduced Capital Costs
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Objectives

• Apply nanotechnology and employ nanomaterials in
  forest products processing in order to reduce
  manufacturing costs by both reducing the amount
  of energy consumed during processing and capital
  equipment required.

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• Nanotechnology applications can take the forms
  of
• nano-catalysts to reduce the temperatures and
  time needed to delignify wood in pulping
• low corrosion nano-coatings and nano-materials to
  prolong the life of capital equipment
• nano-dimensional tags/markers for fiber
  separations
• nano-inspired products that help with water
  removal on paper machines (drainage wires, vacuum
  boxes, wet presses, and dryers), kilns, and hot
  presses
• robust nano-dimensional sensors (temperature,
  pressure, tensile/compressive forces, etc.) that
  can be used to monitor and optimize processing
  conditions as well as reduce/eliminate off
  specification product productions etc.

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Pulping and Paper/Paperboard Production Targets

• Reduce pulping process energy consumption by at
  least 33 and produce the same or better quality
  fiber at 5-10 higher yield
• Reduce energy consumed in the process of
  increasing black liquor solids (kraft pulping) by
  at least 50
• Develop lower-cost technology to replace the
  current (energy and capital intensive)
  causticizing process
• Reduce energy and produce same or better-quality
  paper products by using (a) nano-coating
  pigments and (b) three times the non-fiber filler
  content
• Reduce the energy consumed in paper dewatering,
  pressing, and drying by at least 50

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• Waste Streams/Wastewater
• develop cost-effective methods to reduce or
  eliminate odorous kraft emissions beyond the mill
  property
• Develop alternative methods for wastewater
  treatment that are less energy- and
  capital-intensive than current biological
  effluent treatment systems.
• Develop low corrosion nano-coatings and
  nano-materials to prolong the life of capital
  equipment

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• Fiber Recovery and Recycling
• Develop functional nanomaterials to enable paper
  and fiber tagging
• Use nanomaterials to facilitate ink removal (i.e.
  de-inking) and contaminant removal
• Develop low corrosion nano-coatings and
  nano-materials to prolong the life of capital
  equipment
• Develop nanomaterials to improve recyclability of
  paper and paperboard products

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• Wood Products
• Reduce VOC and HAP emissions from manufacturing
  wood-based products by 90
• Use nanoscale materials and technology to improve
  conversion efficiencies of wood products
• Use nano-coatings and nano-catalysis to decrease
  emissions to indoor air from wood-based products
  by 50
• Investigate ways to use nanotechnology and
  nanomaterials to enhance and increase the
  efficiency of drying wood and wood-based
  materials in kilns and presses
• Increase marketable chemical byproducts of wood
  by 10
• Employ robust nano-dimensional sensors
  (temperature, pressure, tensile/compressive
  forces, etc.) to monitor and optimize processing
  conditions and improve conversion yields as well
  as reduce/eliminate off specification product
  productions etc.

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Questions