Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: Target audience(s) reached by efforts during the final year of the project included two PhD graduate students as well as 23 undergraduate students who were exposed to research results during classroom instruction. Research scientists from throughout the world were exposed to research results presented at two international conferences. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? There was significant training of two PhD graduate students as a result of this project. Financial support of the graduate students was principally from non-USDA funds, representing a cost leveraging. Professional development of the students included attendance of workshops on nanoindentation techniques, the development and presentation of research results at international conferences, and the preparation of manuscripts. All are preparing the students for their post-graduate career How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results have been disseminated through presentations and attendance at international conferences, interactions with graduate and undergraduate students. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
There was no activity conducted during the fifth year of the project as there was not industrial sponsorship of further system development. The principal investigator used his research time instead to supervise graduate students and an NSF REU undergraduate student to conduct research in the areas of life cycle assessment of torrified wood, elucidation on nanostructural changes in woody material as a result of hot water extraction, and the fabrication of biofoams from nanocellulose and starch.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
Tamraka, S, S.M. Shaler, R.A. Lopez-Anido, D.J. Gardner, C.H. West, Y. Han, and R. Edgar. 2012. Mechancial property characterization of fiber-reinforced polymer wood-polypropylene composite panels manufactured using a double belt pressing technology. Materials in Civil Engineering. 24(9):1193-1200.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Yildirim, N., S.M. Shaler, D.J. Gardner, A. Kiziltas, R. Rice, D.W. Bousfield, F. Richmond. 2013. Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) insulating foams. Proceedings of Micro/Nano Fibrillated Cellulose (M/NFC) Aerogels for Structural Insulating Foams, The Advancements in Fiber-Polymer Composites: Wood Fiber, Natural Fibers and Nanocellulose, May 6-7, 2013, Milwaukee, WI, USA. 14 pp.
|
Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Techniques were developed to enable the use of a Field Ion Beam(FIB) microscope to elucidate polymer ablation rates under bombardment of gallium ions. Diamond knife sectioning and staining procedures were developed to obtain sections for transmission electron microscope imaging of serial sections of FIB milled materials. Lignin, hemicellulosic, and cellulosic thin films produced. Thin films and solid wood were bombarded by gallium ions in Field Ion Beam microscope. Aerogel foams were produced from nanofibrillated cellulose using freeze drying procedures (down to -45C). Starting solutions contained concentrations ranging from 1 to 10.5% based on dry weight. Discussions with a new facility to produce torrefied wood in the state of maine were conducted. This resulted in a proposal developed with objectives to 1) Quantify effect of feedstock form on carbon footprint of fuel production. Necessary for sales to the EU. Conducted using LCA of facility using information from new industrial facility under construction in Maine. 2) Model forest conditions in region due to removal of materials in form of biomass and/or roundwood. The second objective will be met in collaboration with other faculty with expertise in forest modeling. An experimental facility for the measurement of creep and creep-rupture of wood composites was developed and installed. Industrial research was conducted for evaluation of performance of new adhesive and wax systems targeted for use in Oriented Strand Board (OSB). Performance was typically measured based on processing characteristics (e.g. viscosity, blend nozzle clogging), product integrity using typical industrial press schedules, water absorption, thickness swell, internal bond, and flexural behavior. Five presentations or posters were given at conferences by the PI or graduate students within the project reporting time period. A Biorefinery Model for OSB Production - Presented to NSF-REU undergraduate cohort. June 12, 2012. Orono, ME Advanced Wood Composites - Presented at WOOD IN THE 21st CENTURY: Design and Preservation of Contemporary & Historic Architecture Saturday, March 24 - Sunday, March 25, 2012. Cambridge, MA. Characterization of the surface energetics of cellulosic micro/nano-fibers using inverse gac chromatography, June 4-7, 2012 Tappi International Conference on Nanotechnology for Renewable Materials, Hyatt Regency Montreal, Quebec, CANADA Cellulosic Aerogels Reinforced with Microfibrillated Cellulose (MFC) for Structural Insulating Foams, Polymer Nanocomposites Conference, March 5-7, 2012 Rauch Business Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania USA. The Potential of Focused Ion Beam (FIB) Technology for Cell Wall Structure Elucidation (poster), Forest Products Society 66th International Convention, June 2-5, 2012, Washington D.C. PARTICIPANTS: The project directly supported the activities of Professor Stephen Shaler and two graduate students (Ms. Melanie Blumentritt and Mr. Nana Bortsee). Both students are PhD candidates. They also both started their PhD program under the guidance of other faculty members within the School of Forest Resources. In both cases, their major professor chose to leave the University and the students chose to transfer to work with Professor Shaler. Much of the research has been conducted at units at the University of Maine. These include: The aerogel research has been made possible through partnering with the Forest Bioproducts Research Institute - which has provided the nanofibrillated cellulose as well as the freeze drying equipment. The Advanced Structures and Composites Center has provided analytical instrumentation (instron, AFM, nano-indentation). The Field Ion Beam microscope activities have been conducted at the Laboratory for Applied Surface Science & Technology (LAAST). Finally, microscopic technique developments have been conducted at the Electron Microscopy Center in the School of Biological Sciences. The development of research objectives and sharing of information has occurred with over 8 companies, 3 of which have manufacturing facilities within the state of Maine. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences for these research activities include forest products manufacturing facilities and the general wood science community. The former target audience obtains information directly from the research conducted - and helps define the techniques used in some cases. The intent is that the information will increase the efficiency and competitiveness of the facilities, thereby supporting continued markets for the forest and continued economic activity in rural regions of Maine and the United States. The later target audience is global in the sense that wood science researchers throughout the globe with an interest in these research areas - will be able to learn about this work through reading of publications and attendance at meetings where these outcomes have been presented. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: A major project modification has been the new activities related to sustainability assessment of torrefied wood. This was a direct result of the transfer of a graduate student with expertise in this area (Mr. Nana Bortsee) to this McIntire Stennis project. The PhD student had elected to remain at the University of Maine after his previous advisor left (see Participants section of report). Previous research by Professor Shaler on life cycle assessment of wood composites provided sufficient overlap with his skill set and interests to incorporate him into this McIntire Stennis project.
Impacts
It was discovered that the crystalline structure of cellulose channels the gallium ions during the FIB process, resulting in a complex ablation pattern. This was distinct from the uniform ablation (milling) obtained with cast lignin films. This indicates that the FIB will be a useful tool for elucidation of ultrastructural cell wall changes resulting from pretreatment procedures seeing increasing use in biorefinery and biofuel industries. Such elucidation can improve the understanding of the mechanisms by which pretreatment procedures work - thereby allowing for hypothesis for improvement pathways. This work was conducted by a graduate student supported by the McIntire-Stennis program. Instron, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and nanoindentation techniques were shown to be useful tool for investigating the mechanical properties of freezedried NFC aerogels. The comparison of compression modulus, young`s modulus and hardness properties between 3.5 % and 10 % NFC aerogels showed no significant differences. There is no need to use 10 % NFC instead of 3.5 % while producing an aerogel and NFC-sourced, organic aerogels can be used instead of inorganic silica aerogels according to expected properties.
Publications
- Tamrakar, S, S.M. Shaler, R. Lopez-Anido, D.J. Gardner, C.H. West, Y. Han, and R. Edgar. 2012. Mechanical property characterization of hybrid wood-polypropylene composite panels manufactured using double belt pressing technology. J. of Materials in Civil Engineering. 24(9):1193-1200.
- Earles, M, A Halog, and S Shaler. 2011. Improving the environmental profile of wood panels via co-production of ethanol and acetic acid. Environmental Science & Technology. 45(22):9743-9749.
|
Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: 1. New test procedures for mechanical testing of wood strands in tension were developed. 2. Teaching and mentoring two graduate students and an undergraduate class in wood composite materials. 3. Mentoring three full-time research scientists/technicians with regard to conduct of research, generation of proposals, and writing of reports 4. Survey of manufacturers from two Maine organizations representing manufacturers of primary and secondary forest products related to research and development needs. Services: Consultation with industry on strand composites in the state(LP) - resulting in additional research activities. Products: Patent application Composite from hemicellulose extracted wood with improved performance and reduced emissions. Shaler, S.M. Juan J. Paredes, Adriaan RP van Heiningen. Filed: November 23, 2010. Utility Patent Application 12/952,891. A laboratory fixture which contains rotating disks which are present in a forming line was designed and constructed. PARTICIPANTS: The principal investigator (Stephen Shaler) spent 60% of his 9-month activity on activities related to this project. This included supervision of two PhD students and three full-time professional/staff members, budget reviews, writing and submission of journal articles, review of scientific literature, mentoring of proposal writing and training processes for the PhD students, writing and submission of additional research proposals, as well as attendance at national and international meetings related to wood composite materials to increase networking and understanding of current issues of interest. A PhD student (Ms. Melanie Blumentritt) began her program in January 2011 and was fully funded by the McIntire-Stennis program. She has been reading the literature, preparing proposals, conducting experiments and interpreting the results, and attending class. A multi-national forest products company has been actively involved with the definition of research objectives and funding of additional wood composites research. Three additional firms have provided in-kind support through supply of chemicals and adhesives. In addition to the training of a graduate student, five undergraduate students have been hired and have been participating in wood composite research project activity in our pilot plant facility. TARGET AUDIENCES: The primary target audience for these research activities are forest product companies with operations in the state of Maine. The purpose is to increase the efficiency and utilization of wood material, thereby improving their competitiveness and economic sustainability. These facilities are typically located in rural communities and the facilities provide one of or the major source(s) of employment. In addition, the training of undergraduate and graduate students is an audience, who then are employed by these and related industries. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Results from a study on industrial forming conditions lead to a change in manufacturing conditions at a large wood products manufacturing facility in the State of Maine. The basic knowledge relevant to that change being made is discussed in the three following paragraphs. The properties of strand-based wood composites are known to be strongly influenced by strand orientation and horizontal density variation. While the influence of these geometrical factors on performance has been extensively investigated for more than 20 years, little research has been reported on how the strands move during the forming process to become oriented and located. Better knowledge of strand movement will allow for understanding of and improvement in mat formation through rational modification of equipment settings and ultimately design concepts. An industrial forming line was used to quantify the effect of strand length on strand movement from the bunker through the picker rolls, dissolving rolls, and orienting heads. Initial locations of dyed strands in the forming bin bunker were predetermined. After processing through the forming head, the location and orientation of individual strands were optically measured before and after the orienting deck. Nine-inch strands were found to have a more variable flow rate through the picker rolls relative to 4-inch strands. Substantial strand mixing and horizontal travel across the width of the forming head occurs prior to the orientation deck. This indicates that modifications in the strand chute will influence the cross-direction movement uniformity and final product density variation more than orienting deck modifications. As expected, longer strands were shown to project significantly farther along the orienting deck as well as to provide better alignment. A particle screen analysis showed that the doffing and dissolving rolls generated 70 percent of the unders (smallest screen fraction) in the forming process. An additional project was completed which evaluated the influence of pressurized hot water extraction (160C), hot water extraction (70C), and steam modification (90 psig) on the pH, weight loss, and mechanical properties of Aspen strands. It was discovered that up to 2% by weight of the material is soluble in the pressurized hot water extracted material. This is significant as it indicates the impact of pressurized hot water extraction is more significant that indicated by previous weight loss measures of the liquid extract.
Publications
- Lagana, R., W.G. Davids, L. Muszynski, and S.M. Shaler. 2011. Moment-curvature analysis of coupled bending and mechanosorptive response of red spruce beams. Wood and Fiber Sci. 43(3):280-292
- Perry, S, AD Pugel, W Haltemann, S Shaler. 2011. Strand Movement During Oriented Strand Composite Mat Formation. Forest Products Journal. 60(7/8):567-574.
- Cheng, Q. and S Shaler. 2010. Moisture movement in wood polypropylene composites. Eur. J. Wood. Prod. 68:463-468.
- Q Cheng, L Muszynski, S Shaler, and J Wang. 2010. Microstructural changes in wood plastic composites due to wetting and re-drying evaluated by X-ray microtomography. J. Nondestruct Eval. 29:207-213.
- Tamrakar, S. S. Shaler, R. Edgar, D. Gardner, R. Lopez-Anido, C West. 2011. Creep and creep rupture behavior of hybrid wood polymer composites. Proceedings of 5th International Symposium on Wood Fibre Polymer Composites. Sept 26-27. Biarritz, France.
|
Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: A computer model of a virtual forming line was completed which includes rotating and translating parts. Programs were written which allow interrogation of the state information (e.g. frame number, position, orientation). It can use a defined mixture of strand sizes. Analysis of strand position information from images obtained at an industrial facility were completed. An empirical of strand mixing was made. Results were disseminated through discussions with an industrial partner and a presentation at an international conference. PARTICIPANTS: Work on this project has been conducted by Stephen Shaler (PI), Spencer Perry (MS Student), Russell Edgar (Wood Composites Manager), and Jon Hill (technician). The graduate student was supported by a grant from the Wood Based Composites Center - an industry funded consortium. Collaboration with Tony Pugel of LP Building Products was significant and key for conduct of the industrial work. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience of the work includes product manufacturers, equipment manufacturers, and the research community. A presentation at an international conference on wood composites which has representatives from all target audiences was made. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Nine-inch strands were found to have a more variable flow rate through the picker rolls relative to four-inch strands. Cross-direction strand movement analysis showed that all strand mixing and horizontal travel across the width of the forming head occurs prior to the orientation deck. As expected, longer strands were shown to project significantly further along the orienting deck as well as to provide better alignment. The effective behavior of an industrial furnish will be strongly influenced by the range in strand geometries entering the forming head. Strand geometry was also found to change as a result of moving through the forming head itself. A fines analysis showed that the doffing and dissolving rolls generated 70% of the unders in the forming process. Impacts: For the mill, this means that the doffing and dissolving rolls are working as designed. For the industry, it indicates that modifications in the strand chute will influence the cross-direction movement uniformity and final product density variation more than orienting deck modifications.
Publications
- Perry, S. 2010. Measuring strand dynamics during oriented strand composite mat formation. MS Thesis. University of Maine. School of Forest Resources. 214 pp.
|
Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: A dynamic strand computer simulation model has been initiated. A initial program has been completed to create and calculate movements of up to 20000 cuboid geometries in response to gravity, collisions between the elements, and collisions with stationary geometries. The static coefficient of friction of wood strands has been experimentally measured for Aspen, along with the measurement of the influence on friction of wax and a urea-formaldehyde adhesive. A computer model to simulate this experiment has been completed with modeling parameters adjusted to match experimental results. Video analysis of individual strand dynamics impacting a rotating disk has been completed in the laboratory. Measurement of strand movements in an industrial scale facility have made and are being analyzed. Events: No events have yet occurred. Services: Discussions with a graduate student (funded by other funds) has occurred to expose him to the program capabilities and explore its use as a tool for improving his research activities. Products: No completed products are available. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: The principal investigator has defined program direction and conducted all computer simulation activities. A graduate student has conducted experimental activities on friction coefficient measurements as part of a class project. Partner Organizations:The Wood Based Composites industrial consortium is supported a MS student who will utilize portions of the developed simulation model in his research. Contact has been made with two industrial scientists to obtain initial feedback on the research direction. They have expressed interest in continued involvement with the activities. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Change in knowledge: The initial stages of this project have made it apparent that computer simulation of dynamic manufacturing processes is feasible. Change in actions: This project is creating a focus of research activities on basic manufacturability concepts. A plan has been made to develop industrial sponsors for this research once sufficient results for proof of concept are available. It is planned to have this in place by December 2009. Change in action: An industrial collaborator has made changes in their manufacturing process as a result of information gathered from their facility.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
|