Research summary
Dr. Mathieu Robert, Canada Research Chair in Polymer Eco-Composites, has set himself a challenge: using agricultural waste or “weeds” to develop sustainable, effective materials.
Canada’s agricultural and agri-food activities produce only a small quantity of biomass-derived functional materials. Paradoxically, most of the research conducted today focuses on products derived from European raw materials or the wood industry. Robert and his research team intend to reverse this trend by working exclusively with Canadian raw materials (such as flax, hemp, milkweed and agri-food waste). Ultimately, Robert and his research team are helping to build tomorrow’s clean industry and putting Canada on the path to high-performance ecological materials.