BioComposites Centre annual report published despite Covid delays
The BioComposites Centre recently published their 2020 Annual Report, following delays caused by Covid restrictions.
The BioComposites Centre, Bangor University
In 1989, The BioComposites Centre established an MDF (medium density fibre board) pilot plant at Bangor, North Wales with the backing of industry and the Welsh Development Agency. The aim of this facility was to provide technology transfer services and a research capability for the Forest Products Industry and other sectors. The facility carried out elements of what is now known as biorefining, by adding value to agricultural and forestry residues . Over the last 30 years a range of lignocellulosic feedstocks have been investigated including pine, spruce , wheat straw, ryegrass, hemp and miscanthus, in order to produce biocomposite materials for a range of construction applications. Since 1989 a wide range of collaborative industrial projects have been undertaken at the facility to study the use of novel materials, new resins, additive technologies and process configurations.
The BioComposites Centre’s pilot scale equipment was relocated to a new site on the Island of Anglesey in 2006, with over 600 m2 of floor space. The remit of the Technology Transfer Centre (TTC) has since broadened to include work on the wider aspects of biorefining, including biomass fractionation and pre-treatment and the study of a wide range of biobased products for applications across many different sectors.
These include:
Application of plant fibres and biopolymers such as polylactic acid and starch for food/ materials packaging,
New bioresins and other additives for the panel products/ polymers sectors
Extraction of speciality chemicals from biomass using supercritical carbon dioxide technology, for the cosmetics, flavours and nutraceuticals sectors
Enzyme mediated fractionation of biomass to generate new products for the food industry
The Centre also has dedicated energy monitoring equipment linked to its pilot plant equipment supported by Life Cycle Assessment capability. The combination of a wide range of pilot scale equipment at the BioComposites Centre, coupled with staff expertise in a number of core areas makes the facility unique and an ideal partner for collaborating with industry.