A Sustainable Future with Forest Products

Ken Zwick Tuesday Plenary Presentation.

·FPL’s research focuses on efficient utilization of forest resources to make sustainable products. We emphasize:

oSustainable products to replace existing unsustainable and carbon intensive products (e.g., CLT to replace concrete and steel, CNM to replace single use plastics, cellulose-based chemicals to replace petrochemical-based, bio-fuels to replace fossil fuels).

oSustainable additives to improve the performance and reduce the carbon intensity of current products (e.g., CNC in concrete, CNM in PLA, lignin in asphalt)

oMaterials and processes to improve current sustainable forest products (e.g., non-destructive testing of wood, soy-based adhesives for wood, catalytic pulping)

oEfficient uses of low-value wood to support sustainable forest management.

Fundamental understanding of wood anatomy, properties and chemistry to enable the above work (e.g., fire and moisture behavior, transport properties, macro and micromechanics)