APPTI to Host Nanocellulose Workshop
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APPTI to Host Nanocellulose Workshop
The Alliance for Pulp and Paper Technology Innovation (APPTI) and its partners American Process, Inc., SAPPI, and the University of Maine announce the opening of registration for Advancing Commercialization of Nanocellulose:Critical Challenges Workshop – Drying and Compatibilization, to be held May 7-8, 2019, at Patriot Plaza III, 355 E Street, SE, Washington, DC. The event is supported by the USDA Forest Service, and by the National Nanotechnology Coordinating Office (NNCO) in support of the Sustainable Nanomanufacturing Signature Initiative. The University of Maine is also supporting the event. View the preliminary agenda and register by clicking here: Nano Critical Challenges Workshop 2019.
"Register early, as space is limited," said American Process Vice President Kim Nelson, workshop co-chair and co-chair of the APPTI team that is organizing the event."The 2-day event will showcase US capabilities and expertise in this promising field. Building on the outcomes of the Forest Service/NNI workshop (FS-NNI Nanocellulose Commercialization Report, 2014)and the APPTI roadmapping workshop (APPTI Cellulosic Nanomaterials Roadmapping Workshop Report, 2015), we will review progress in closing research gaps critical to commercialization, to identify specific research projects to address remaining technology needs, and begin to form interdisciplinary teams to execute them." The full APPTI technology roadmap is available by clicking here: Cellulose Nanomaterials Roadmap.
Invited audiences include Federal agency representatives, academic and institutional researchers, nanocellulose producers and suppliers, end-users, plastics compounders, equipment suppliers, and other interested parties. Students are also welcome.
The meeting will include rapid-fire presentations from the US research community, developers, and producers to share their expertise and capabilities. The presentations will be published after the workshop. Those interested in offering such presentations will find instructions on the registration page.
Other sessions will examine the value of nanocellulose in the bioeconomy, global commercialization activities, end-user needs and challenges, and innovation needs. Networking opportunities with the nanocellulose community of interest—in particular, an offsite reception—will be a significant feature of the event.
Colleen Walker, Director-Process Development Center, University of Maine, who is co-chairing the workshop, emphasized the importance of two state-of-the-art literature reviews commissioned by APPTI and its partners to be used during the workshop. "These surveys synthesize previously developed knowledge on the two important topics of drying and dewatering and compatibilization for use in plastics, and so provide a starting point for remaining gaps in know-how critical to broad commercialization," she observed.
APPTI executive director David Turpin noted the support for the event from the USDA Forest Service and NNCO. "We appreciate the support we are receiving from our Federal partners," he observed, "and it underscores our shared view of the contributions that nanocellulosic materials can make to sustainable manufacturing.Development of nanocellulose-based platforms for commercial applications will create and protect jobs, especially in rural communities, and support growth of the US bioeconomy."
For further information, visit the APPTI website (www.APPTI.org) or contact David Turpin (David.Turpin@APPTI.org).
