Participation of Vahideh Akbari in the «CSChE2023 conference».
Vahideh Akbari, a Ph.D. student in Wood Engineering and Bio-based Materials, participated in the Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference (CSChE2023), held from October 29 to November 1, 2023, in Calgary. The Canadian Institute of Chemistry organizes this event under the «Materials, Energy and the Environment» theme.
It was an excellent opportunity to share her results and broaden her areas of expertise and network of contacts. Vahideh works under the direction of Véronic Landry at the NSERC – Canlak Industrial Research Chair in Finishes for Interior Wood Products. In an oral presentation, she addressed the potential of a new, more sustainable, environmentally friendly approach to wood densification. This method involves «in situ, polymerization using biobased acrylate and malonate monomers».
Congratulations, Vahideh and best wishes for success!
Summary
The construction sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 40% of the total, with building materials and construction alone responsible for 10% of these emissions. In Canada, the sector emits 12% of the country’s direct global greenhouse gas emissions and is expected to grow significantly by 2030. To address these environmental concerns, the adoption of green materials, particularly wood products, offers a promising solution to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in construction.
Wood, commonly used in residential buildings (71% market share), faces limitations in non-residential structures due to hardness and flammability concerns. Wood densification, a process to increase wood density and hardness, can expand its use. Mechanical and chemical processes achieve wood densification, making chemical methods more effective but costly. This project introduces an environmentally friendly approach involving in-situ polymerization using biobased acrylate and malonate monomers. This reaction, conducted at ambient temperature with minimal solvent use and local wood species, aims to enhance wood densification while minimizing environmental impact. Various malonate-acrylate systems will be formulated, optimized, and tested on different wood species. The study aims to advance sustainable wood densification for construction, potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with the sector.