Advanced Biomaterial Product Development Platform

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As the mechanical pulping industry, which is significant to British Columbia and Canada's economy, transitions to low energy biofibre production, we have identified a need to study the performance of these fibres in next generation products. The performance of low-energy fibres in high value products, such as advanced packaging materials, needs to be studied and optimized if this sector is to successfully transform into low-energy production. The Dynamic Sheet Former (DSF) proposed in this application is key to understanding the development of these new products and will be broadly used by university and industry research and development teams. The DSF will support several research programs in the UBC Pulp and Paper Centre, including the Advanced Papermaking Initiative, which focuses of training opportunities for high quality personnel and the Energy Reduction in Mechanical Pulping (ERMP) research program - an outstanding university industry collaboration ($4.0M NSERC-CRD) that brings together 16 companies with 7 professors across 3 universities. Throughout the Energy Reduction research program’s 9-year history, the focus has been on developing low energy fibres that will be used in advanced materials and products. We are not adequately equipped to reproduce industry-quality product samples, namely multi-layer board samples that incorporate low energy fibres, as well as novel products such as microfibrillated cellulose. This fundamentally limits the translation of our research, the implementation of novel energy reduction strategies, and the development of new materials and products. This equipment will significantly extend our current research capabilities and help address the challenges faced by the mechanical pulping sector, which strongly supports the ongoing research at UBC. The requested DSF is a new piece equipment that we do not currently have access to, and will be accessible to all Pulp and Paper Centre users, including 27 faculty associates and 50 graduate level students, Postdoctoral Fellows, and staff from across the UBC campus, with technical staff in place at PPC to support this range of users. The mechanical pulp sector is facing unprecedented structural changes in existing markets. This proposed laboratory equipment is absolutely essential for ensuring the success of the mechanical pulp sector as it transitions to new low energy processes and transforms into a diverse and robust bio-products industry. The success of this sector is directly tied to the prosperity of Canada's rural communities.