Another record-breaking year for the International Conference on Nanotechnology for Renewable Materials! Co-located with the Forest Products Society’s 72nd International Convention, TAPPI Nano 2018 took place June 11-14, 2018. 

 

The largest TAPPI Nano Conference to date, over 300 industry renewable materials users and producers, university researchers, government leaders and researchers, and other key stake holders involved in the commercialization and use of renewable nanomaterials, gathered in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Focusing on new research findings and the latest developments and applications, this comprehensive technical program featured over 160 presentations. The biggest topics of interest included:

• Processing and Applications of Nanocellulose-Based Coatings
• Transport Properties of Nanocellulose-Based Films and Membranes
• Nanolignin and Ligno-Nanocellulose: Production and Application Prospects
• End-Users Panel featuring representatives from 3M, Cabot, Ford Motor Company, and Kimberly-Clark

The Conference Dinner & Awards Ceremony, held at the historic Orpheum Theater, was an enjoyable night of networking and relaxing that included an exciting dueling piano performance by Piano Fondue. Congratulations to the winners of the International Nanotechnology Division Awards for:

• Technical Award and FiberLean Technologies Prize: Wadood Hamad, FPInnovations
• Leadership and Service Award: Colleen Walker, University of Maine
• Mid-Career Award: Mehdi Tajvidi, University of Maine
• Student Award: Nathan C. Ellebracht, Georgia Tech

The Student Poster Session, combined with FPS’ Convention, showcased more than 80 posters. The winners of the poster competition were:

• First Place: Augustus Lang, Georgia Institute of Technology, "Paper-Based Electrochromic  Devices  Enabled by Nanocellulose-Coated Paper and Spray-Processible Oxygen Barrier Layers"
• Second Place: Sami Miguel El Awad Azrak, Purdue University, "Large Scale Production and Mechanical Properties of Mechanically Fibrillated Nanocellulose Films"
• Third Place: Anurodh Tripathi, North Carolina State University, "Recipe to Synthesize Aerogels with Tunable Properties: From Design Principles to Application".  

TAPPI Nano 2019 is headed to Japan!

 

As the forefront of the global cellulose nanofibers market, Japan is the perfect place to host the 2019 International Conference on Nanotechnology for Renewable Materials. Taking place at the Makuhari Messe International Conference Hall in Chiba, Japan, it will be held June 3-7, 2019 and will be co-located with the Nanocellulose Forum. Stay tuned for more details.