Materials & Bioeconomy

The Materials and Bioeconomy Platform seeks to develop new ideas to utilize our forest resources and organic waste streams.

Programs

These are the major areas of research in the Materials and Bioeconomy Platform:

1. Biomass Thermal Processing (Lab to Pilot Scale)
2. Advanced Wood Products
3. Anaerobic Digestion
4. Organosolv Processing
5. Energy Products
6. Materials Development

Project Highlights:

• Deconstruction keeps valuable materials out of landfills. A project partner with Better Futures Minnesota, NRRI is helping the non-profit social enterprise identify high value materials and develop up-value applications.
• NRRI, US Forest Service collaborate to show efficiencies in timber bridges. The final report in a series of four, “Development of Cost-Competitive Timber Bridge Designs for Long-Term Performance,” was published by the Minnesota Department of Transportation in August 2020.
• Minnesota a leader in biochar demonstration and research. NRRI is building a research platform around marketable opportunities for biochar made from excess biomass resources. Biochar has been shown to filter harmful chemicals from stormwater runoff, enhance soil microbial health, increase soil drought resistance and store carbon in soils to mitigate climate change.

Resources, Staff and Program Information

For more information see our Research Group pages.