Novel properties of cellulosic materials

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In the past few years, the world of lignocellulosics has seen many rapid and radical changes. On the one hand, the pulp and paper industry in Canada and elsewhere has seen an unprecedented round of ownership change, downsizing and mill closure. On the other hand, there has been a dramatic growth in interest in lignocellulosics as a source of energy and renewable resources. This has led to the concept of the "Forest Biorefinery" as a development of the traditional pulp mill, with enhanced separation, modification and utilization of the hemicelluloses, lignin and phytochemicals present in wood and agricultural wastes. However, the economic success of such a plant still rests on the effective exploitation of the material properties of the cellulose in the plant cell wall. The objectives of the proposed research is to provide some of the basic physicochemical and morphological information on cellulose and lignocellulosic materials required for their intelligent utilization as both traditional and as novel materials.