Professor Don Guay, one of the UWSP faculty members, is working on a project with American Science and Technology that is focused on turning paper mill sludge headed for a landfill into isoprene, a sugar-rich compound used in industrial products such as car tires. Diverting the sludge to by-product development could save mills considerable landfill costs while creating another revenue stream.
The second project, with Abba Makolin Waldron & Associates, is focused on improving the consistency of paper made with recycled paper. It uses a technology invented by UWSP professor Gerry Ring that mixes paper fibers of different lengths more precisely. The process creates a stronger sheet of paper and allows companies to use cheaper materials. Abba Makolin President Bob Makolin said his company will work with student researchers to take Ring's process and create a fiber-length analyzer that can be installed on paper machines.
"If this technology works out, it could be truly a game changer for the industry," Makolin said in the newspaper article.
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