Program ID: Innovation Anthology #239
Program Date: 07/07/2009
Program Category: Forests, Nanotechnology, Water
Carlo Montemagno on Nano Forest Products I
If Dr. Carlo Montemagno has his way, no one will ever look at trees the same way again.
Dr. Montemagno is the Dean of Engineering at the University of Cincinnati, and he was in Edmonton recently for the Conference on Nanotechnology and Forest Products.
In Montemagno’s world, trees produce more than lumber and pulp. They are a cornucopia of proteins and molecules that form the basis of nano-enabled biomaterials.
DR. CARLO MONTEMAGNO: Well forest products produces a large amount of biomass. But all of their focus has been on cellulose. I mean, that’s what they do. They look at using wood, fibre and pulp and that’s what they focus on. There is a huge amount of potential resources in terms of the fundamental biological components that support the living mechanism of the tree that we should be able to harvest and be able to use as value added products, products that have more value maybe intrinsically than the actual fibre that they are so heavily focused on.
Dr. Carlo Montemagno says these renewable, nano-engineered biomaterials can replace petroleum-based chemicals. This will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of industry.
Thanks today to Alberta Ingenuity
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I'M CHERYL CROUCHER
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Dr. Carlo Montemagno
