A Fundamental Review of the Relationships between Nanotechnology and Lignocellulosic Biomass - The Nanoscience and Technology of Renewable Biomaterials - page 23

• Next generation fiber recovery and utilization - make recycled fiber interchangeable

with virgin fiber with respect to product quality, functionality, and availability by
improving the quality and quantity of recovered fiber and improving process tech-
nologies at recycling mills.

• Positively impacting the environment - develop and deploy an optimum mix of

in-process and add-on technologies that will enable continued improvement of the
industry's environmental performance.

• Technologically advanced workforce - provide training and education needed to ensure

that new and existing technologies chosen to create the forest products industry of the
future are operated by a technically superior workforce.

It is important to note that the AF&PA Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance views nan-
otechnology and biotechnology as means to achieving its technological goals and not
as ends in themselves. The forest products industry views implementing its technology
roadmap will require efforts in all parts of the research, development and deployment
(RD&D) continuum, from concept generation to technology deployment. A strong focus
on deployment is also a key aspect of the implementation strategy. The range and mag-
nitude of benefits offered by the roadmap's research platforms can only be realized if
the technologies are accepted and implemented by the industry. However, the indus-
try views that it is imperative that fundamental scientific research be tapped to explore
the rich set of opportunities offered by the rapidly advancing fields of nanotechnology
and biotechnology in order to achieve breakthroughs in sustainable forestry, feedstock
processing and conversion, and end-product properties.

1.12 Nanotechnology Priority Areas to Meet the Needs of the Forest

Products Industry

Building off The Forest Products Industry Technology Roadmap , an AF&PA Agenda
2020 task group analyzed where nanotechnology could be expected to make major con-
tributions to achieving the goals in the industry technology platform areas given in the
previous section. The following six areas were deemed to be the highest priorities:

• achieving lighter weight, higher strength materials;

• production of nanocrystalline cellulose and nanofibrils from wood;

• controlling water/moisture interactions with cellulose;

• producing hyperperformance nanocomposites from nanocrystalline cellulose;

• capturing the photonic and piezoelectric properties of lignocelluloses;

• reducing energy usage and reducing capital costs in processing wood to products.

Descriptions of these six areas are as follows (http://www.nanotechforest.org).

1.12.1 Achieving Lighter Weight, Higher Strength Materials

The objective is to improve strength/weight performance of paper and paperboard by
at least 40% using one or several nanotechnology-based approaches. It was thought
that a 40% improvement level was not attainable with any currently known technology
and would require one or several breakthroughs in the three key areas of: (1) strength,