Innovation Anthology #46: Senior Analytical Advisor
What’s old is new again, and that’s certainly the case with biofibres.
Long before people used trees to make paper, they depended on the fibres from cotton, flax and papyrus.
Once again, though, we’re turning to plants in the search for more environment friendly feedstocks for the products essential to our modern economies.
And while still in its infancy, the market potential for biofibres runs into the billions.
One scientist involved in the development of new technologies to support the use of biofibres is Wade Chute of the Alberta Research Council.
WADE CHUTE: The fibre properties that occur in different raw materials have a direct impact on the resulting products that you make from them. For example, wheat straw itself produces a wonderful pulp that can be used in paper to impart sheet smoothness and also to reduce energy consumption in terms of refining after the fact. There are some other opportunities with respect to reinforcement fibres from plants such as hemp and flax.
Plants can also be used to make composite materials to replace wood, geo textiles for waste management, and chemicals for the plastics industry.
For example, one day your cell phone case could be made from cereal or coconut residue.
Thanks today to the Alberta Research Council.
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY, I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
Brenda Crickmore, MSc,
Syncrude Canada Ltd., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
Sponsor
Alberta Research Council
Established as the first provincial research organization in Canada, the Alberta Research Council is 85 years old. The Alberta Research Council (ARC) develops and commercializes technologies to give customers a competitive advantage. A leader in innovation, ARC provides solutions globally to the energy, life sciences, agriculture, environment, forestry and manufacturing sectors.
ARC performs about five per cent of the roughly $1.5 billion in R&D done in Alberta each year, and generates revenues of approximately $84 million per year. ARC operates from five sites across the province in Edmonton, Calgary, Vegreville and Devon and employs more than 600 highly-skilled people.
In January 2010, under the new Alberta Innovation Framework, the Alberta Research Council was restructured and incorporated into the new provincial agency Alberta Innovates Technology Futures.
Program Date: 2007-07-05