NANOTECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES IN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

1. NANOTECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES IN RESIDENTIALAND COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION Theodore H. Wegner Jerrold E. Winandy Michael A. Ritter USDA Forest ServiceForest Products Laboratory Madison, WI USA November 16, 2005

2. Materials US in the United States on a Volume Basis

4. 88% of Single Family Structures are Wood Frame Construction

5. Wood & Competitive Materials in Residential Buildings Volume of Materials Over past 100 years > 7 Billion m3 of wood has been used in structures

6. Housing & Non-residential Issues related to Use of Wood • Durability • Moisture • Decay • Termites • Weathering • Fire Performance • Disaster Performance • Fire • Flood • Hurricane/Tornado/Wind storm • Energy Consumption • Integrated Building Systems

7. US Energy Consumption 2003 ~ 70 Quads

8. Decreasing energy use for space heating/cooling often leads to moisture management and indoor air quality issues and problems

9. Reducing the Costs of Natural Disasters* Annual US Cost: tens – hundreds of Billions of Dollars * Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earth quakes, wind storms, Forest wildfire

10. Annual Structures Fire Losses ~3000 deaths and losses > $12 Billion annually

11. Once the wood is damaged by weathering, it can’t hold paint. This structure was only 5 years old when this photograph was taken. It has been painted three times.

12. Decay caused by moisture entry because the sealant has failed or was not used properly

13. Mold: growing on wall studs and oriented strandboard sheathing in a wall cavity due to moisture build up Law suits pending > 10,000 $3 Billion in claims paid in 2002

14. Subterranean Termite Zones in N. America

15. Housing & Forestry in the US - America’s Forests are a Major Strategic National Asset (303 Million Hectares--31 Billion m3 of Wood--Growth to harvest over 2:1) • Publicly owned and managed—129 million Hectares • Privately held—174 million Hectares • America’s Forests provide Vital Ecological Services • Carbon Sequestration • Clean Water • Animal Habitat • Recreation • Stewardship and Sustainable Management and Use of America’s Forests is critical to meeting America’s strategic needs for Materials, Products, Energy, and Jobs

16. 2/3 of America’s forests are in the eastern US About 3/4 of America’s private forests are in the East Forest Land: 303 million Hectares Total Land Area: 913 million Hectares

18. 161 million Hectares at risk Over 20 million hectares burned over last 10 years at a cost of $8.2 billion for fire suppression (2005 – 3.36 million Hectares)

19. Nanomaterials Opportunities Nanomaterials offer the potential for unprecedented material performance that could • Solve major societal problems • (e.g. energy, medicine, environment, manufacturing, communications, computing, security, and forest management) • Energize the economy for decades • Revitalize existing businesses (e.g. forest products) • Boost competitiveness globally • Create entirely new industries

20. Cellulose synthesis and material production: nature working across a length scale >1010! Cellulose nanofiber bundles Rosette (6 assembly proteins), which produces cellulose nanofibers ~28nm www.ita.doc.gov/td/forestprod/ Source: Jeffery Catchmark, Penn State University Candace Haigler and Larry Blanton, Cellulose: “You're surrounded by it, but did you know it was there?”

21. Nanotechnology Opportunities for Current Forest Products & Processes • Sensors to monitor processes and product history • Revolutionize separations • Breakthrough surface characteristics • Incredible bonding • Dramatic simplification of production processes • Significant synergy with forest biotechnology • Significant reduction in the need for energy

22. Nanotechnology Opportunities in Housing & Non-residential Structures Issues related to Use of Wood • Sensors • Barrier coatings • Multifunctionality • Durability & Low Maintenance • Fire Performance • Disaster Performance • Energy Consumption/Production • Building component integration

23. Nanotechnology Roadmap Vision: To sustainably meet the needs of present and future generations for wood-based materials and products by applying nanotechnology science and engineering to efficiently and effectively capture the entire range of values that wood-based lignocellulosic materials are capable of providing. www.nanotechforest.org

24. Nanomaterials & Wood Construction Materials • Superior Barrier Coatings, Films, & Fillers • Weather resistance (e.g. UV resistant films & coatings) • Decay/mold resistance (e.g. ZnO, Ag, TiO2, Clay, moisture barriers) • Fire resistance (e.g. Clay, TiO2) • Termite resistance • Multifunctionality • “Breathable” surfaces -- Keep water out yet allow water vapor to escape

25. Nanomaterials & WoodConstructionMaterials-continued • Smart Materials • Nanoscale Sensors • Moisture/Biological attack • Insect attack—termites/carpenter ants • Decay fungi • Mold • Structural Member loading • Self sterilizing surfaces

26. Nanomaterials & Wood Construction Materials-continued • Higher strength, stiffness, impact resistant, & durable products & materials • Cellulose nanofibrils • Lighter weight with superior thermal insulation • Integrated Building components & systems • Multifunctional – e.g. electrical, heating & cooling • Self repairing Systems

27. Federal Role in Nanotechnology R&D • Support sustainable forestry and forest products as a positive economic, social, and ecological force • Promote, conduct, and support high risk, fundamental nanotechnology research • Acquire and maintain state of the art R&D nanotechnology facilities and provide access to other partners to move the US forest-based economy forward • Cooperate with industry, universities, other governmental agencies, and international partners

28. Thank you for Your Attention