www.fpinnovations.ca

NCC: The Revolution

Jim DangerfieldExecutive Vice President

2009 International Conference on Nanotechnology for the Forest Products Industry

June 24, 2009Edmonton, Alberta

FPInnovations

• Targeted at Forest Sector Competitiveness and Transforming the Industry

• Built on Renewable Sustainably Managed Forests

• Produce Environmentally Friendly Products

• Priorities Driven from the Market Place and focus on the Bio-economy

Globalization

Lars Sandberg, Timwood

How do we reduce our carbon footprint and meet growing demand for non-renewable resources?

Demand for Materials

Today – 750 Million Cars

Tomorrow (2050) – 2.5 Billion Cars

World Economic Drivers

Long-term sustainable growth of the economyis dependent on:

• growing global trade,

• energy conservation and

• efficient and environmentally responsible use of resources.

A Foundation for the Future

Courtesy of Les Jozsa

Cellulose

Over 1.5 Trillion Tonnes/Year

Using the Forest Resource in New Ways

amorphous region

acid hydrolysisH2SO4

TEM image of cotton nanocrystals

crystalline region

microfibril :

Using the Forest Resource in New Ways

Native Cellulose NanoCrystalsSpecies Diameter Length

SW1 3-5 180 +/- 75

HW2 5 150 +/- 65

Tunicate2 10-20 100 - 2000

Valonia2 10 - 20 > 1000

Cotton1 7 100 - 300

Bacteria2 5-10 X 30-50 100 - 2000

Algae > 20 2000

1. Gray, Chem Eur, 2001. 2. Gray, Biomac, 2005.

Nano-Crystalline Cellulose (NCC)OpacityColour

Porosity Stronger than Steel

Challenges

• Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) produced in gram quantities.

• Commercial application evaluations need larger quantities.

• Road map was needed for possible opportunities and challenges for forest sector related nanotechnology applications.

Roadmap Themes

• The conversion of cellulosic material into nanocrystalline cellulose

• New product and process improvement opportunities for nanocrystalline cellulose

• The application of nano-materials other than nanocrystalline cellulose in new forest sector products and for process improvement

• Environmental, health, safety and economic issues

Theme 1 CelluloseSource

ImprovedExtraction

GreenExtraction

Grades ofNCC

QualityControl

The conversion of cellulosic material into nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC)

Achieved: 1kg / day pilot plant

Milling Hydrolysis Clarification

Acid removal Concentration Drying

Objective: 1 tonne per day NCC plant

Request: 11 tonnes per day NCC plant

Summary of Major Improvements

• ~15% reduction in capital costs (1 TPD)`

• >50% reduction in acid & lime usage

• >50% reduction in NCC operating costs ($/T)

• >60% reduction in drying costs

• >70% reduction in fresh water usage

• Further major reductions in capital and operating costs in the last month.

Theme 2

StrengthChirality

High SurfaceAreaSelf Assembly

OpticalPropertiesMagnetism

New products and process improvement with nanocrystalline cellulose

Application Portfolio Categories

• NCC Process• NCC Product• Surfaces

• Paper• Fibres• Films• Coatings• Paints/varnishes• Composites• Gels• Powders

Achieved: Strong flexible films with tunable colour

Using the Forest Resource in New Ways

Nanocrystalline Cellulose

Achieved: NCC Coated Plastics

NCC(97%) / PVOH (3%) NCC(97%) / PVOH (3%)

1mm 1mm

0.8g/m2

Theme 3

RetentionCoating

Active PapersEffluentTreatment

EquipmentModification

RFIDs & Sensors

Other nano-materials in new products and for process improvement

A surface hardening process

• Surface hardness improved up to 40%

• Will maintain the current product price level for the next 5 years

Enhancing wood properties using nanotechnology

Plasma technologies for Wood Products present potential for new properties

• Outdoor uses

• Non-Residential applications

• Cutting toolsHydrophobic wood surface

Using the Forest Resource in New Ways

glossy and iridescent

glossy, white

NCC

Nanoclay Nanoclay layerdensity: 2.6 g/cm3

NCC layerdensity: 1.6 g/cm3

RMS roughness=2.1nm RMS roughness=24.7nm

50% NCC+50% nanoclay, NCC sideGloss: 75.2%

50% NCC+50% nanoclay, Nanoclay sideGloss: 42.5%

With Nanocrystalline cellulose : A new highly filled “paper” sheet

Using the Forest Resource in New Ways

Carbon Nanotubes in Paper• High electrical conductivity • High thermal conductivity• Acoustic dampening

Single-walled Multi-walled

• High strength • Flame retardancy• Hydrophobicity

Achieved: Key Improved Properties

• Increased conductivity

• Improved flame retardancy

• Maintained paper strength

Theme 4

Environment

Health &Safety

Economics

Environmental, health, safety and economic issues

Achieved: Toxicity Measurement

• Acute lethal toxicity (mg/L)– Very toxic <0.1– Toxic 0.1-1.0– Moderately toxic 1-10– Slightly toxic 10 -100– Practically nontoxic >100

Species used for NCC testing

Daphnia magna Ceriodaphnia dubia

• Commonly used for toxicity testing• Endpoints: mortality (48 h), reproduction (7 to 21 d)

• Used for regulatory tests worldwide• Wide use allows for comparisons

• Small size allows tests with small amounts of material

Comparative Toxicity

MaterialToxicity, 48 h LC50, mg/L

Daphnia Ceriodaphnia

NCC (batches 7-10, 60 -100 nm) >1,000 (3,200) 316 - >1,000 (3,200)

CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose) >10,000 >1,000 (3,200)

MCC (microcrystalline cellulose) >1,000 >1,000

TiO2 (filtered, 30nm) 5.5 -

TiO2 (sonicated, 100 -500 nm) >500 -

Fullerene (filtered, 10 -20 nm) 0.5 -

Fullerene (sonicated, 20 -100 nm) 7.9 -

NaCl ~5,500 ~1,200

Summary• Tests done with 9 species in different developmental

stages looking at numerous endpoints– Represents very thorough toxicological assessment

• Whole organism tests to date indicate NCC is “virtually non toxic”– Less toxic than other nanomaterials– Similar potency to NaCl and CMC

Based on studies to date: no basis for major environmental concerns, risk appears to be low.

Occupational Exposure: Spraying

Aerosol Exposure Chamber

• Environment (toxicity)– NCC virtually non toxic– NCC uptake restricted to the

digestive tract– Overall toxicity risk and

influence on effluent toxicity regulation: low

• Human health (exposure)– Spray: NCC aerial dispersion < 24 h– Spill and NCC fate: aggregation

(“non-nano”)– Overall exposure risk in studies to

date: low

Summary

Future Plans

• Environment– Continue bioaccumulation

study– Verify in vitro test results– Initiate fate and exposure

studies• Effluent, sediment

interactions

• Human health– Continue occupational exposure

assessment– Initiate mammalian toxicity

assessment, including in vitro and in vivo tests

Initiate registration of NCC as required under the “New Substances Notification Regulations”

• Canadian Forest NanoProducts Network

• Business-Led Network Centre of Excellence (BL-NCE)

• One of four new networks announced in 2009

• BL-NCE: new four-year program overseen by NCE

Deliver benefits to Canadians

Promote an entrepreneurial advantage

ArboraNano

Need for a Network Approach

FPInnovations is stronglylinked to forest sector

but has few connections to other industries

ArboraNano vision requirescross-discipline and

cross-sectoral expertise

Combined efforts of many university, industrial andgovernment researchers

required

ArboraNanoVision - Forest NanoProducts

Forest

NCC and silvichemicals

Aerospace

Medical (With

R&

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ener

ated

by

Arb

oraN

ano

Net

wor

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Composites

Automotive

PharmaceuticalCoatings

• Develop a market for wood-derived nanomaterials

• Develop novel products or materials using NCC

• Focus Areas:• NCC in aerospace and automotive composites

and coatings• Develop forest products enhanced by

nanotechnology • NCC in drug delivery, in-vivo imaging, soft and

hard tissue repair

39

ArboraNano Objectives

40

Industry and Public Sector Partners

• Nanotech-improved wood adhesives and finishes

• Food products containing NCC

• Nanotech-improved wood composites and lumber

• Nanotech-improved paper products

• Foams, composites and bio-composites containing NCC

• Paints, lacquers and coatings formulated with NCC

… Scientific Committee decides what to work on

Product Examples

Potential Research Partners• Research may be carried out in the facilities of industry members

• Universities have expressed a strong interest ArboraNano by submitting unsolicited proposals:

– McGill University– University of Toronto – University of British Columbia– University of Alberta– Université Laval– University of Guelph– Université du Québec á Trois-Rivières – CIPP– University of New Brunswick– Ecole Polytechnique– University of Waterloo– Others

• National and Provincial Research Institutes will participate– Alberta Research Council– National Institute for Nanotechnology– MaRS

ArboraNano Summary

Take advantage of breakthrough technology for commercial manufacture of NCC

Develop and commercialize innovative highly-engineered NANOPRODUCTS FROM RENEWABLE RESOURCES

Forge alliances with major manufacturing sectors

Generate fundamental and applied knowledge to attain the vision

Combining Carbon Nanotubes with Nanocrystalline Cellulose? Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)

are used in baseball bats, tennis racquets, and some car parts because of their greater mechanical strength at less weight per unit volume than that of conventional materials. Electronic properties of CNTs have made them a candidate for flat panel displays in TVs, batteries, and other electronics. Nanotubes for various uses can be made of materials other than carbon.

Using the Forest Resource in New Ways

Using the Forest Resource in New Ways

Combining Carbon Nanotubes with Nanocrystalline Cellulose?

Opportunity

Nanocrystalline cellulose is a sustainable, high volume, inexpensive, practically nontoxic nanomaterial with remarkable properties.

Save the Planet – Grow More Trees – Use More Wood

Thank You

www.fpinnovations.ca