Louisiana Tech University

TEAM: ReFib

TEAM MEMBERS:
Malcom Prouty
Joseph Cannon
Fernando Puno

FACULTY ADVISOR: Yuri Lvov

PRODUCT OR SERVICE: Customizable nano-coatings that can be applied to wood fibers prior to the paper production process to enhance recycled pulp surface properties without sacrificing material integrity. ReFib believes that using the layer-by-layer self-assembly technique to modify surface properties of recycled pulp will help paper manufacturers reduce both costs and pollution.

The layer-by-layer assembly technique has been widely applied to drug delivery, surface modifications and biological applications, and has only recently been applied to wood fibers in academic research. ReFib is the first product to apply this technique to the pulp and paper industry. Rising energy prices, increased global competition and environmental concerns have pressed paper manufacturers to invest in new technologies to reduce production costs and pollution, while gaining a competitive edge.

With ReFib, an individual coating is applied to recycled pulp prior to paper formation. When treated pulp is mixed together with virgin pulp in the paper formation process, a higher recycled content level can be achieved. This green process allows paper manufacturers to increase the recycled content of their products while decreasing their overall manufacturing costs without sacrificing material integrity. ReFib reduces deforestation and the amount of energy required for manufacturing by promoting the increased use of recycled pulp; reducing the amount of toxic chemicals, carbon dioxide, and other harmful green house gases released into the atmosphere. With the lower relative cost of recycled fiber, and an increase in its use, raw material costs are minimized, and incentives to recycle are strengthened.

ReFib’s developers recently entered their burgeoning product in to the Nano I2P® Competition at Nano Nexus 2007, a nanotechnology conference hosted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The team was named first runner-up and took home $3,000 in start-up capital.

“This is definitely a step in the right direction for us,” said Malcolm D. Prouty, one of the ReFib’s developers who will be receiving his Ph.D. in engineering from Louisiana Tech this spring. “ReFib has a lot of potential. We’re looking at breaking into a mature industry, and both large and small [paper] mills want to keep up with the latest technology that will keep their production process as efficient as possible.”

Current technologies allow paper manufacturers to produce paper with higher recycled content, however, the strength-to-weigh ratio of such paper is reduced. ReFib allows manufacturers to maintain the strength-to-weight ratio while increasing recycled content. This technology can be readily integrated in macro-scale processes with minimal alteration of infrastructure, and without disrupting existing plant operations.