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ARS Home » Nutrition, Food Safety/Quality » Research » Research Project #435812

Research Project: Expand Research Activity at the School of Forest Resources (SFR) Focusing on the Valorization of Forest-Based Biomass

Location: Nutrition, Food Safety/Quality

Project Number: 0204-41510-001-090-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 6, 2019
End Date: Aug 5, 2023

Objective:
The objective of this project is to conduct mission relevant research which addresses the competitiveness of forest products on a national and regional basis. The diversity of the industrial processes and markets provides a robust industrial ecosystem which is ultimately dependent upon the forest resource. This project has the following specific objectives: 1) Demonstrate near-term commercial opportunities to produce value added paper products, including those leveraging cellulose nanomaterials and existing, underutilized manufacturing assets in the State of Maine, 2) Develop and evaluate the performance of an interior composite panel comprised of wood particles, cellulose nanofibrils, and fungal resin, 3) Determine the impact of finger-joints on structural capacity of lumber/LSL crosslaminated timber, 4) Evaluate the durability of SMA-WPC in the application of ocean fish cage pens, 5) Develop a model of wood supply by species and size class of all forest types of Maine over the next 25 to 50 years under several scenarios, and 6) Develop an interactive mapping application to support planning for spruce budworm impact on wood supply. Additional information on each of the six specific objectives are provided in the attached Appendix.

Approach:
The approach to meet these research objectives includes a variety of experimental designs. Much of the materials evaluated will be provided from industrial cooperators to ensure results will be relevant to the marketplace (producers & consumers). Research will be conducted by a combination of faculty, graduate students, and research staff with results communicated to stakeholders through written and oral presentations, publications, and discussions. Specific approaches for the six objective areas can be found in the attached Appendix.