General FPL Information

Visitourwebsiteforfree,onlineversionsofmanyFPLpublications:

www.fpl.fs.fed.us

FormoreinformationaboutFPL’snanotechnologyprogram,contactusduringregularbusinesshours.

(MondaythroughFriday,8a.m.to4p.m.Centraltime)

USDA Forest ServiceForest Products LaboratoryOne Gifford Pinchot DriveMadison, WI 53726-2398

608.231.9200608.231.9544 (TTY)608.231.9592 (fax)

Email:mailroom_forest_products_laboratory@fs.fed.us

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Nanotechnology ResearchPursuing the Future of Forest Products

U.S. Forest ServiceForest Products LaboratoryMadison, Wisconsin

Forest Products Laboratory Nanotechnology Program

Woodisarenewable,sustainable,carbon-neutralresource.Innovationsinwood-basednano-enabledproductshavethepotentialtodisplacepartofAmerica’spetroleum-basedeconomywithamoresustainablecellulose-basedeconomy.

Thisrevolutionarynano-scalesciencecouldtransformtheforestproductsindustryregard-ingproductionofrawmaterials,newapplica-tionsforcompositeandpaperproducts,andnewgenerationsofmultifunctionalwood-based(lignocellulosic)materials.

Usingstructural,chemical,andmechani-calevaluationtechniquesbyinterdisciplin-aryteamsofchemists,materialsscientists,engineers,andbotanists,theForestProductsLaboratorycontinuestoexpanditsfundamen-talresearchinwoodnanotechnologyinordertofurtherextendthenation’stimbersupplythroughthewiseutilizationofitsforestresources.

Nanotechnology Research

Projects of TodayNanoparticleshavealwaysbeenaroundus.Woodisnaturallycomposedofverysmallbutextreme-lystrongcellulosenanofibrils.In-novativenano-relatedadvance-mentswillhelpreplacenon-sus-

tainableproductssuchasplasticsandmetalswithlighter,strongermultifunctionalwood-basedandpapermaterialsmadefromrenewableforestresources.

Prospects for Tomorrow ▶Multifunctionalwoodcompositematerials

withembeddednanosensorstomeasureandreacttostructuralforces,loads,moisture,andtemperatures

▶Anti-microbialandwater-resistantcoatingsonlumberforuseinflood-proneareasandhurricanezones

▶“Smart”paperandpaperboardpackagingtoreplaceplasticsforcommercialandfoodproductssensitivetoheat,contamination,odor,ortampering

▶High-valueproductsfromundervaluedwoodresourcesusingcellulosenanocrystalsandnanofibrilatedcellulosetoimproveperfor-manceanddurabilityoffiberboard,particle-board,andgluedstructuralproducts

Atomicforcemicroscopyof

tunicatecellulosenanocrystals.

Nanoindentsinaloblollypinecellwall.

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Government PartnershipsNational Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)

TobettercoordinateFederalnanotechnologyre-searchanddevelopment,theNNIservesasalocusofcommunication,cooperation,andcollabora-tionundertheauspicesoftheNanoscaleScience,EngineeringandTechnologySubcommitteeoftheNationalScienceandTechnologyCouncil.Anestablishedframeworkamongthe25participatingFederalagenciessharesstrategicgoals,priorities,andplanning.Thiscooperativeeffortallowsagen-ciestoleveragevastcollectiveresources.

ThirteenNNIparticipatingagencies,includingtheForestService,haveR&Dbudgetsrelatedtonanotechnology.TheNNIdoesnotfundresearchdirectlybutdoesinformandinfluenceFederalbudgetandplanningprocessesthroughitsmemberagencies.

National Nanotechnology Initiative Goals

▶Advanceworld-classnanotechnologyresearchanddevelopment

▶Fosterthetransferofnewtechnologiesintoproductsforcommercialandpublicuse

▶Developandsustaineducationalresources,askilledworkforce,andthesupportinginfrastructureandtoolstoadvancenanotechnology

▶Supporttheresponsibledevelopmentofnanotechnology

TolearnmoreabouttheNationalNanotechnologyInitiativeanditsactivities,visittheNNIwebsiteatwww.nano.gov.

Industry PartnershipsAgenda 2020 Technology Alliance

Thisindustry-ledpartnershipwithgovernmentandacademiaisaspecialprojectoftheAmericanForest&PaperAssociation.Agenda2020isfo-cusedoninvigoratingtheforestproductsindustrythroughinnovationinprocesses,materials,andmarkets.

Initiatedin1994,Agenda2020isorganizedasamembershipalliancetoaccelerateresearch,demonstration,anddeploymentofbreakthroughtechnologies.

Currentandfutureindustry–governmentpartner-shipswillfocusonthreenanotechnology-basedresearchanddevelopmentareas:

▶Improvingstrength/weightperformanceofpaper,paperboard,andwood-basedstructuralmaterials

▶Developingnewvalue-addedfeaturesforpaperandforestproducts

▶Creatingrevenuestreamsfrominnovativeforest-derivednanomaterials

Academic PartnershipsPurdue University–Birck Nanotechnology Center

Initiatedin2007,thispartnershipbuildsuponthestrengthsofthenanotechnologyinfrastructureandexpertiseatPurdue

UniversityDiscoveryParkandBirckNanotech-nologyCenterandthewoodscienceexpertiseoftheForestProductsLaboratory.Tobridgethetwoinstitutionsandexpediteprogramdevelopment,FPLpermanentlyrelocatedonescientist,Dr.RobertMoon,toPurdueUniversity.TheculminationofthiscollaborativeeffortwillbetheestablishmentofaForestProductsNanotechnologyCenteratPurdue.Researcherscanthenleverageadvancesinscienceandengineeringtocreateinnovativeprograms:

▶Cellulose-basednanotechnology

▶Sensortechnology

▶Predictivemodeling

Seewww.nanohub.orgformoreinformation.

Aresearchcoalitionisdevelopingtofocusonunderlyingscienceandtechnologytoadvancenanotechnologyintheforestproductssector.ThispartnershipisbeingledbytheAgenda2020Tech-nologyAllianceandtheForestProductsLaboratory.OtherparticipantsincludetheUniversityofTen-nessee–Knoxville,NorthCarolinaStateUniversity,UniversityofMaine,PennsylvaniaStateUniver-sity–CenterforNanoCellulosics,GeorgiaInstituteofTechnology,OregonStateUniversity,andPurdueUniversity.Thenanoindentermeasureshardness

andstiffnessofmaterialsatasubmi-crometerscale.

Nanotechnology: The Scale of NatureNanoparticlesareassmallasatomsandmol-ecules.TheDNAwithinourcellularstructureisalsocomparableinsize.Ahumanhairisabout50,000nanometersthick.

10 m

100 µm

Cellular anatomy

10 cm1 nm

Cellulose

100 nm

Fibril-matrixstructure

1 mm

Growth rings

Cell wall layers

Hierarchical Wood Structure

10 µm

Safety and Public Health

Theneedtounderstandandmitigatepo-tentialtoxicityandexposureconcernsforhealth,safety,andtheenvironmentresult-ingfromtheintroductionofengineerednanoscalematerials,nanostructuredmateri-als,andnanotechnology-baseddevicesisanintegralpartofallFPLnanotechnologyresearchefforts.

Encapsulationofwoodcellulosenanocrystalsuspensionswithina

polymershell.

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