Grant: Engage Grants Program
University of Regina
$25,000.00
Natural fibre pad assessment (Genics)
FY 2016-17
Summary
Genics seeks to revolutionize the wood preservative industry. The useful life of a utility pole will be extended four-fold without harming the environment. The soil interface of utility poles is a place for rot with soil moisture providing an ideal habitat for fungus and insects. Genics has been successfully marketing their Cobra WrapTM product to utility companies for this purpose. This product is installed like a bandage that is wrapped around the pole at the soil interface; the copper naphthene wood preservative diffuses into the pole to prevent rot. This technology uses polyethylene to contain a polypropylene carrier pad containing a preservative that diffuses into the pole. Once the product has been transferred the Cobra WrapTM must be replaced and the spent wrap becomes landfill waste. Genics Inc. is collaborating with a University of Regina researcher who has previously pulped flax straw and formed dried-in single use containers. Utilizing crop residue that currently is a waste stream provides an annually renewable source to be the carrier pad for the wood preservative with multiple benefits. As flax straw is inherently difficult to dispose of; in fact it is often burned emitting harmful CO2, utilizing flax for this application may provide additional natural protection in addition to holding and transferring the wood preservative. Secondly, as an abundant source the dependence on imported and manufactured components will be eliminated leading to reduced production costs. Furthermore, using natural products rather than petroleum-based products aligns with society's increasing environmentally responsible consciousness by reducing, recycling and reducing waste. This NSERC Engage sponsored research focuses on developing an improved product that not only utilizes natural fibre, such as crop residue but also incorporates a wood preservative that is nontoxic to humans and mammals. While the end product will present an immediate, smaller environmental footprint decreasing landfill pressure, the challenges is to achieve the same functionality as the currently commercial product.
Program
Engage Grants Program
Recipient
Location
Saskatchewan, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
494102-2016
Name nom
Stilling, Denise
Department département
Engineering and Applied Science, Faculty of
Organization id
17
Institution établissement
University of Regina
Province en
Saskatchewan
Province fr
Saskatchewan
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2016
Competition year année de concours
2016
Award amount
25000
Program id
EGP
Program name en
Engage Grants Program
Program name fr
Programme de subventions d'engagement partenariat
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
1555
Committee name en
Prairie Internal Decision Committee
Committee name fr
Comité de décision interne pour les Prairies
Area of application code
500
Area of application group en
Manufacturing processes and products
Area of application group fr
Procédés et produits industriels
Area of application en
Manufacturing processes and products
Area of application fr
Procédés et produits industriels
Research subject code
2002
Research subject group en
Materials science and technology
Research subject group fr
Science et technologie des matériaux
Research subject en
Materials processing
Research subject fr
Transformation des matériaux
Partie
1
Nb partie
1
Application title
Natural fibre pad assessment (Genics)
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
Genics seeks to revolutionize the wood preservative industry. The useful life of a utility pole will be extended four-fold without harming the environment. The soil interface of utility poles is a place for rot with soil moisture providing an ideal habitat for fungus and insects. Genics has been successfully marketing their Cobra WrapTM product to utility companies for this purpose. This product is installed like a bandage that is wrapped around the pole at the soil interface; the copper naphthene wood preservative diffuses into the pole to prevent rot. This technology uses polyethylene to contain a polypropylene carrier pad containing a preservative that diffuses into the pole. Once the product has been transferred the Cobra WrapTM must be replaced and the spent wrap becomes landfill waste. Genics Inc. is collaborating with a University of Regina researcher who has previously pulped flax straw and formed dried-in single use containers. Utilizing crop residue that currently is a waste stream provides an annually renewable source to be the carrier pad for the wood preservative with multiple benefits. As flax straw is inherently difficult to dispose of; in fact it is often burned emitting harmful CO2, utilizing flax for this application may provide additional natural protection in addition to holding and transferring the wood preservative. Secondly, as an abundant source the dependence on imported and manufactured components will be eliminated leading to reduced production costs. Furthermore, using natural products rather than petroleum-based products aligns with society's increasing environmentally responsible consciousness by reducing, recycling and reducing waste. This NSERC Engage sponsored research focuses on developing an improved product that not only utilizes natural fibre, such as crop residue but also incorporates a wood preservative that is nontoxic to humans and mammals. While the end product will present an immediate, smaller environmental footprint decreasing landfill pressure, the challenges is to achieve the same functionality as the currently commercial product.
