at Forest Products Laboratory
Contact Information
Forest Products Laboratory
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53726
Phone: (608) 231-9200
Fax: (608) 231-9592
Email

 

You are here: FPL Home  / Information Products & Services  / Publications

Requested Publication

Title: A Fundamental Review of the Relationships between Nanotechnology and Lignocellulosic Biomass

Source: In: The Nanoscience and technology of renewable biomaterials, edited by Lucian A. Lucia and Orlando J. Rojas.

Author(s): Wegner, Theodore H.; Jones, E. Philip

Publication Year: 2009  View PDF » Mail this web page's link »

Publication Series: Journal Articles

Abstract: At first glance, the relationship between nanotechnology and lignocellulosic biomass may seem to be unconnected or at best tenuously connected. It is important to recognize that. at a fundamental level, lignocellulosic biomass is made up of nanometer-size con-stitutive building block units that provide valuable properties to wood and other types of renewable lignocellulosic and cellulosic biomaterials. Other composite biomaterials, such as bone, teeth, and seashells, have been found to owe their high strength and optical properties to the nanometer dimensions of their building blocks (Sarikaya et al. 2003). Similarly, the nanometer dimensions of the cellulose, lignin and other compo-nents provide the origin for the unique properties of wood and a host of wood-based products including paper, paperboard, oriented strandboard, glulam beams, etc. (Klemm et al. 2005). For example, paper represents a material produced from fibers that have been 'pulped' and refined to liberate fibrils, microfibrils/nanofibrils, and nanocrystalline cellulose that are responsible for its inherent strength and performance (Brown et al. 1987). While the relative mass of the nanofibrils and nanocrystalline cellulose are small their surface area is large and by number they represent an enormous fraction which has significant consequences.

Keywords: Biomass, utilization, lignocellulose, nanotechnology, lignin, wood chemistry, crystalline cellulose, nanocrystals, crystallization, nanostructured materials, cellulose fibers, renewable natural resources, forest products industries, mechanical properties, chemical composition, sustainability, wood anatomy, biotechnology

Publication Review Process: Informally Refereed (Peer-Reviewed)

File size: 1,934 kb(s)

Date posted: 05/17/2010

This publication is also viewable on Treesearch:  view
RITS Product ID: 35649
Current FPL Scientist associated with this publication
Wegner, Theodore H.
Assistant Director / Acting FPL Director's Representative
  

Additional items that might interest you


2011 Research Highlights from FPL....view



2010 Research Highlights from FPL....view



Termite Eradication: A search for the Holy Grail.... view



Moisture Management in Residential Construction Series videos...view


Wood Floor Systems in Residential Construction Series videos....view
- FPL's Mission and Strategic Plan -

FPL's mission is to identify and conduct innovative wood and fiber utilization research that contributes to conservation and productivity of the forest resource, thereby sustaining forests, the economy, and quality of life. ... ..more »

- FPL Research Emphasis Areas -
Advanced Composites

As an integral part of the FPL mission, we improve the long-term sustainability of our Nation's forests by creating valuable composite products from biobased materials ... ..more »


Advanced Structures

The FPL has been in the forefront of wood-frame housing research since 1910 and has long been recognized as a world leader in such housing-related areas as engineered wood ... ..more »


Forest Biorefinery

We all know the compelling reasons that the United States needs to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. Historically, the greatest increases in energy demand have been for transportation fuels ... ..more »


Nanotechnology

A leader in wood products research for over a century, the FPL is positioning itself to become the lead Federal research facility for the application of nanotechnology in forest products ... more »


Woody Biomass Utilization

Forests in the United States contain a substantial amount of small-diameter, overstocked, and underutilized material.FPL research projects are exploring the potential of the small-diameter ... ..more »