Grant: Engage Grants for Universities

Towel products is a rapidly growing and strategic market where Canadian industries play a major role in_x000D_ providing raw materials, manufacturing and developing new technologies that add value to the products. For_x000D_ 2016, the towel products represented $1.7 Billion in revenue for the Canadian industries and the growth_x000D_ projections are 1.5% for 2017. Despite the fact that these products have been produced and commercialized for_x000D_ many decades, our understanding of how towel properties are linked to the manufacturing process and its_x000D_ microstructure is still very limited. Therefore, fundamental understanding of the towel products that will be_x000D_ obtained with this project will lead to the elimination of costly trial-and-error process optimization and increase_x000D_ the competitiveness of Canadian tissue industry._x000D_ The proposed research engagement with FPInnovattions, Canada is on understanding mechanics of paper towel_x000D_ products using a combination of modeling techniques and experiments on commercial products. This proposal_x000D_ is intended to form a basis for long term research program on mechanics of towel products with FPI and_x000D_ possible other paper manufacturers from Canada. Successful completion of this ENGAGE research with FPI_x000D_ Canada is expected to lead to a long term research program in untangling the complexities of the towel_x000D_ products and making the underlying science and technology available to Canadian industries in the competitive_x000D_ market of towel products.