Mechanical dewatering and modeling of gasification processes to attain more green fuels from wood waste materials

Bridges Environmental Solutions Inc. and Deadwood Innovation Inc. have developed a novel and low-cost process for dewatering wood and waste wood materials and extracting a lignin-based solution useful in subsequent wood reforming and laminating processes, which we have helped develop. They use this lignin product to both chemically modify cellulose structures and permanently reform wood for improved mechanical properties. Their technology reduces the chemical and energy investments needed for attaining lignin and offers an environmentally friendly alternative to adhesives and laminates used in other manufacturing processes. Their dewatering process also represents a means for taking wood waste materials that have very low value, such as legacy sawdust piles and bush grind with high moisture content and converting them into useable feedstock for biofuels and syngas production.
To further develop their technology, they need to 1) validate the energy balance and cost recovery of their novel dewatering process; 2) chemically characterize the composition of the lignin product they produce; and 3) improve the colour, purity, and stability of that lignin product to better serve the product quality requirements needed by other industries.

Faculty Supervisor:

Hossein Kazemian

Student:

Partner:

Bridges Environmental Solutions Inc;Deadwood Innovations Ltd.

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Northern British Columbia

Program: