Avis de soutenance de thèse de Jinxing Li – Doctorant en génie du bois et des matériaux biosourcés – Mercredi 24 septembre 2025 à 9h
Vous êtes cordialement invité·e·s à assister à la soutenance de thèse de Jinxing Li, doctorant en génie du bois et des matériaux biosourcés, qui aura lieu le mercredi 24 septembre 2025 à 9 h, dans le local 2320-2330 du Pavillon Gene-H.-Kruger, à Université Laval.
Pour celles et ceux qui souhaitent y assister en ligne, voici le lien de connexion: https://ulaval.zoom.us/j/63200405245?pwd=oqVcl9cM1y0it1B6fL08XFaqCoBz4B.1
Membres du jury
Président: Pierre Blanchet- Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Université Laval
Directrice de recherche: Tatjana Stevanovic- Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Université Laval
Codirecteur de recherche: Xiaodong Wang- Université du Québec à Rimouski
Examinatrice UL: Alain Cloutier- Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Université Laval
Examinateur: Chen Qian – FPInnovations
Examinateur externe: Alireza Kaboorani – RRC College
Titre : Development and modification of wood fiber reinforced bio-based foam composites for building envelopes
Résumé : In recent years, the construction industry has faced challenges such as high energy consumption, severe construction waste pollution, and depleted petroleum resources. Biomass-based insulation materials have become a viable alternative to traditional petroleum-based materials. While tannin and starch-based foams have attracted attention for their excellent thermal insulation properties, they still face challenges such as environmental friendliness, poor mechanical properties, fire resistance, and insufficient hydrophobicity, hindering their widespread application.
This study focused on the development of green, high-performance building insulation materials based on two biomass-based foams: tannin and starch. First, bio-based aldehydes (furfural and vanillin) were used to replace traditional petroleum-based crosslinkers. These foams were then reacted with tannic acid and furfuryl alcohol to produce foams. Wood fiber was then added for reinforcement. The resulting foams exhibited excellent thermal insulation, flame retardancy, mechanical properties, and environmental friendliness. Second, aldehyde-free tannin foams were prepared by incorporating bio-based crosslinkers such as soy protein isolate and casein. These foams also achieved high biomass content (over 95Â %) and excellent overall performance. Finally, starch foams with excellent performance were prepared using oxidized starch, furfuryl alcohol, and soy protein as raw materials, combining chemical foaming, mechanical mixing, and solvent exchange techniques. By adding birch fiber, a bio-based flame retardant, and a hydrophobic treatment, the foam’s mechanical strength, flame retardancy, hydrophobicity, and thermal stability were significantly improved.
In summary, this research has successfully developed a variety of green, high-performance tannin and starch-based foam materials, providing an effective path for the sustainable development of building insulation materials.