Environmentally Friendly Pollutant Remediation, Dye Decolorization
PROBLEM: Organic pollutants and dyes from textile and paper plants in industrial waste streams need remediation.
SOLUTION: Using the chemically enhanced Fenton system, dyes can be remediated quickly in an environmentally safe manner.
New Composites Made from up to 60% Inexpensive, Raw Plant Material
PROBLEM: Composite manufacturers need ways to improve extruded thermoplastics using inexpensive, environmentally friendly ingredients and without slowing process time.
Low Maintainance Sheet Piling Reduces Life Cycle Costs of Retaining Walls
PROBLEM: Commonly available sheet piling used for retaining walls corrodes, increasing maintenance costs and reducing the useful life of the construction. These problems are heightened in a marine environment.
SOLUTION: Our patented wood composite sheet piling system does not corrode, which reduces overall life cycle costs. Additionally it is chemically inert and 100% recyclable.
A Stronger, Simpler Fuel Cell Membrane Electrode Assembly
Membrane technology first developed to create artificial muscles may soon be used to improve fuel cells. Pictured above is a fuel cell membrane manufactured using this new method. Resulting surface porosity (a) and a deeply diffused conductive area (light lines in b) increase surface area available for electricity production and create a stonger, simpler, long-lasting membrane.
PROBLEM: Manufacturers of low temperature fuel cells need solutions for improving the strength, durability and manufacturability of a key component, the membrane electrode assembly, or MEA.
Fire Proof Paint
A fire resistant paint includes a film-forming binder, a solvent, and a hydrated mineral that imparts fire resistance to the paint. The paint, when applied to a fibrous composite article which comprises at least about 20 wt % lignocellulosic fibers bound together into a consolidated fibrous article, provides the article with a flame spread index of not greater than about 50.
Inventors: Mike Bilodeau, Mark Paradis
atent Pending, Canada and US 13/061,583
UMaine Reference: 2008-26
Contact Kris Burton
COMpris: A New Method to Manufacture Stronger and Thicker Composites
A solution for simplifying manufacturing of utility-scale wind turbine blades?
PROBLEM: Manufacturers of large composite components such as boats or wind blades are currently limited to using non-recyclable materials and labor intensive manufacturing processes.
38% Stronger Reinforced Glulam Construction Beams
PROBLEM: Builders prefer reinforced glulam beams for applications benefiting from thier beauty or shape versatility. But glulam beams have a tendency to weaken (delaminate, or peel) on the ends when the center of the beam is bent or stressed.
SOLUTION: UMaine offers reinforced glulam beams that withstand end delamination under 38% more bending stress compared to other reinforced beams, and 95% more stress compared to non-reinforced beams.