Cellulose Nano- and Micromaterial Production Study

Rockville, Maryland, November 19, 2015 (Newswire.com) - This week Dr. Alan Rudie of the USDA FS Forest Products Laboratory presented their  “Implementation Plan of the Yreka, California, Feasibility Analysis”  at the P3Nano meeting in Madison, WI.  The USDA Forest Service Research & Development (R&D) (Forest Products Laboratory and Northern Research Station), the National Forest System (Pacific Southwest Region), and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities are collaboratively initiating a feasibility study for cellulose nanomaterial and micromaterial production in Northern California. The Yreka, California, site is characterized by wood species availability and water use constraints typical of western U.S. Government public lands and much of the Rocky Mountain region where forest product utilization options are often limited.

The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a product option that can help fund forest management activities. A high-value product would support delivered timber costs sufficient to pay for harvesting and transportation costs for trees removed in forest restoration and hazardous fuel reduction operations.

The overall project goals:
• Compare quality and particle characteristics for cellulose nanomaterials and cellulose micromaterials made directly from wood using six production methods
• Produce quantities of cellulose nano- and micromaterials sufficient to evaluate four applications
• Identify production site requirements (such as water use, water treatment) and evaluate these requirements relative to the Yreka location
• Determine production costs (capital and operating) for the cellulose nano- or microparticle intermediates

This Public–Private Partnership will evaluate cellulose nano- and microparticle production options provided by one university, three private-sector companies, and the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL). Engineering evaluation referred to as AACE Class 5 (–30% to +40% capital costs) will be performed on each option and used to select one option for further analysis.

For more information, contact:

Technical
Alan Rudie, PhD
Supervisory Research Chemist Fiber and Chemical Sciences Research
Forest Products Laboratory
[email protected]
608–231–9496

Media/Public Relations
Douglas Clawson
Assistant Director Communications and Science Delivery
Forest Products Laboratory
[email protected]
608–231–9325