Research summary
Wood is a sustainable and renewable material that has been widely used in lumber, wood-based panels and pulp. But biomass, the biological material that comes from trees, can be converted into a wide variety of products, not only traditional forest products. As Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Functional Biomaterials, Dr. Feng Jiang aims to develop a cost-effective and energy-efficient means to convert wood residues and other biomass into high-performance, functional, bio-based products.
He and his research team are developing new technologies to isolate and modify lignocellulosic nanomaterials (tiny, nano-sized materials derived from lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose) from biomass residues and convert these into functional materials with commercial potential. Ultimately, their research will help make Canada a leader in the production of renewable and biodegradable products.