Nanotechnology for the Forest Products Industry

1. Nanotechnology for the Forest Products Industry by Howard Rosen, Staff, Washington Office Ted Wegner, Assistant Director, Forest Products Laboratory USDA Forest Service November 16, 2006

2. Presentation Overview • Nanotechnology overview • Federal/public perspectives on forest products • Federal Government integrated role in advancing nanotechnology in the forest products industry

3. Definition of Nanotechnolgy • Scale: 1 nm – 100 nm (1 nm = 1 billionth or 10-9of a meter) Creating nanoscale size materials does not mean nanotechnology is involved • Material must have unique properties (e.g. electrical, physical, chemical, optical) that are different that the bulk properties • Achieving those unique properties must be repeatable and controllable

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

6. Source: October 2004 Lux Research Report

8. Cubic feet per capita Total consumption (million cubic feet)

9. The United States is the Largest Producer of Industrial Wood Percent of Total World Production Millions of Cubic Metres Non-Tropical Tropical

10. Impact of Global Competition Domestically produced shares of the U.S. market have declined for most wood products

11. Soot : Contains Value

12. Cellulose Synthesis and Material Production: Nature Working Across a Length Scale >1010! Cellulose nanofiber bundles 6 Assembly proteins (rosette) which produces cellulose nanofibers ~28nm www.ita.doc.gov/td/forestprod/ jupiter.phys.ttu.edu/corner/1999/dec99.pdf Candace Haigler and Larry Blanton, Cellulose: “You're surrounded by it, but did you know it was there?” Source: Jeffery Catchmark , Penn State University

13. Nanotechnology & Wood Wood / Lignocellulose • One of the most abundant biological raw materials-ubiquitous • Nano-fibrilar structure • Self-assembly—controlled • Lignocellulose as a nanomaterial and its interact with other nanomaterials is largely unexplored • Capacity to be made multifunctional • New analytical techniques adapted to biomaterials are beginning to allow us to see new possibilities • A cornerstone for advancing the biomass-based renewable & sustainable economy

14. America Needs a Strong Forest Products Industry • Outlet for forest biomass that needs to be removed to reduce fuel load and improve forest health & condition • Forest biomass sales offset the cost of forest management on public lands • Helps prevent conversion of privately –held forestland to non-forest uses • Makes use of a National strategic asset to provide jobs, fuel the economy, and meet the needs of people for material needs

15. Nanotechnology can help reinvent the forest products industry • Technology is the major driving factor for growth at every level of an economy and is a key factor in enabling competitive advantage in the market place • New, higher profit products, based upon pioneering, innovative technology creation, are needed • Lighter weight, stronger, multifunctional materials from wood • New products • New markets • New functionalities

16. Federal Role in Nanotechnology R&D • Support sustainable forestry and sustainable forest products as a positive economic, social, and ecological force within the Nation • Promote, conduct, and support high risk, fundamental nanotechnology research • Acquire and maintain state of the art Federal R&D nanotechnology facilities and provide access to unique and cost effective research facilities and capacities with other partners to move the US forest-based economy forward

17. 2003 R&D Spending $283 Billion All R&D in the United States Source: National Science Foundation

19. Nanotechnology Workshop For the Forest Products Industry October 17 - 19, 2004 www.nanotechforest.org

20. Nanotechnology Roadmap:Priority R&D Areas • Polymer Composites and Nano-Reinforced Materials • Self-Assembly and Biomimetics • Cell-Wall Nanotechnology • Sensors, Processing, and Process Controls • Analytic Methods for Nanostructure Characterization

21. Nanotechnology Task Group Goals • Link nanotechnology with other Agenda 2020 platforms through Technology Roadmap • Establish a Brain Trust to identify 3 - 4 priority areas • Organize annual Nanotechnology Conference -Focal point for industry / academia / government

22. Agenda 2020 Focus for the Future Meeting the Challenge of Deployment Next Generation Fiber Recovery and Utilization  Recycled Fiber Indistinguishable from Virgin Fiber Advancing the Forest “Bio-refinery” SustainableForest Productivity Extracting Value prior to Pulping New Value from Residuals & Spent Liquors Positively Impacting the Environment Significant Reduction in Greenhouse Gases Decreased Ecological Footprint O2 CO2 Breakthrough Mfg. Technologies MajorManufacturing Cost/Capital Reduction Significant Enhancement in Product Properties with Existing Assets Substantial Improvement in Energy Efficiency for Existing Processes Advancing the Wood Products Revolution  Improved Building Systems  Reduced System Costs Technologically Advanced Workforce From Workforce to Knowledge Workers in 7 years

23. Adapt & Deploy Existing Nanotechnologies Reduces costs by leveraging existing investments Shortest time to deployment Exploits existing nanotechnology knowledge base Adds value and functionality to existing products Create & Deploy Novel New Nanotechnologies Exploits the unique nanoscale components and properties of wood Enables new generations of cost effective products & materials Exploits the full potential of wood as the material for the 21st Century Achieves maximum efficiency of material use Nanotechnology Deployment Strategies

24. Nano Focus Areas • Focus Area 1:Improve strength weight performance • Target • 40% fewer materials for same performance • 60# performance with 45# CWF • Mechanical (bonding ) and optical performances • Focus Area 2:Forest Nanomaterials • Liberation and use of nanocellulose • Other nanomaterials from bio-resource • Non covalent disassembly/reassembly nano-fractionalization and nano-catalysis for separations • Entropic effects in the assembly and disassembly of nanomaterials in forestry • Focus Area 3 : Understanding the control of water-lignocellulose interaction for modification of properties • Water removal and in the end product • Energy cost of water, fiber swell in the presence of water • Control and manipulation of hydrogen bonding (7 types) • Control of mechanosorptive behavior • Water repelling, barriers • Control of degradation • Control/modification of surface chemistry

25. Nano Focus Areas • Focus Area 4 -Inorganic-organic nanocomposites nanoscale surface modification • Paper, MDF, OSB are all composite materials • Compatibilization of hydrophilic/hydrophobic materials • Interactions at nano-scale • Focus Area 5 - Photonics and Electronic/Piezo properties • 100 % Opacity • Focus Area 6 -Modifications for energy efficiency : Process related • Nano-catalysis in pulping and chemistry • Low temp pulping • Nano pores in felts • Water removal • Low corrosion materials

26. Key Stakeholders • Forest Products Industry • Universities • Federal Departments/Agencies • NNI/NSET/PCAST/OSTP---OMB • National Science Foundation • DOE Basic Sciences • DOE National Laboratories • National Institute of Standards & Technology • USDA CSREES • USDA Forest Service

27. 2007 Nanotechnology Conference • Knoxville TN, June 13 to 15 2007 • Oak Ridge National Lab tie-in • Focal point for task force reviews and workshops • Tappi/ FPS co-managed • Co-sponsors • AF&PA • USDA Forest Service • USDA CSREES • U Tennessee • IUFRO • American Chemical Society

28. Thank you for your attention