USDA lab launches nanocellulose production

U.S. Department of Agriculture undersecretary Harris Sherman helped launch a $1.7 million production facility for renewable, forest-based nanomaterials in August. The U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory will produce nanocellulose made from wood fiber, a material with high strength and low weight that has potential applications in the personal protection, automotive, aerospace and other industries. The Forest Products Lab wants to advance nanocellulose technology in partnership with private industries. “My door is open to talking about how we can expand at the federal level our resources and commitment to what is occurring here today,” said Sherman. The facility will support an emerging market for wood-based, renewable nanomaterials, help spur forest-based job growth and contribute an estimated $600 billion to the American economy by 2020.