Innovation Anthology #244:
According to forestry giant George Weyerhauser Jr., nano crystalline cellulose is a new raw material.
It’s all the parts of the tree, the cellulose and lignin, broken down into their molecular components. Then through nano fabrication, these molecules can be built up again into materials where the properties are precisely managed and designed.
At the recent Conference on Nanotechnology and Forest Products, Weyerhauser addressed the economics of this nano revolution for an industry facing tough times.
GEORGE WEYERHAUSER JR: The forest industry is just beginning to think how can we turn these new materials into competitive products. And it’s going to take a major re-investment, a retooling of our labs in order to take products to the next commercialization step. On the other hand the facilities that we use are all there. So getting the raw material from the woods to the factory, that’s not going to be any different. Getting the initial breakdown of the tree into the components, that will likely be the same. So we have the basic platform ready to go. It’s the knowledge that we have to invest in still.
George Weyerhauser Jr. is with the startup technology firm Houghton Cascade.
Thanks today to Alberta Ingenuity.
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I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
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Alberta Ingenuity
Established in 2000, the Alberta Ingenuity Fund supports science and engineering research of the highest calibre, to create a prosperous future for the province of Alberta. It draws funding from a $1 billion endowment established in 2000 and managed by the Government of Alberta to build the capacity for innovation, especially in areas with long lasting social and economic impact.
Among its many programs, Alberta Ingenuity supports graduate students and university researchers, industrial research and commercialization partnerships, and has established several Centres and Institutes.
In January 2010, under the new Alberta Innovation Framework, Alberta Ingenuity was restructured and absorbed in the new agency Alberta Innovates Technology Solutions.
Program Date: 2009-07-23