January 2009

BIOENERGY: David Smith is representing the College and WSE on a Bioenergy Workshop Planning Committee chaired by Thayne Dutson, Director of Western Regional Sun Grant. This state-wide effort is organizing and hosting a series of Spring 2009 workshops on "Biofuels, Bioenergy, Bioproducts - What is Oregon's Niche?" Mike Milota is representing the College on an OUS committee planning a biofuels demonstration project as a component of the new OSU Energy Center.

NEW AWARDS: With Fred Kamke’s leadership, OSU has been awarded a planning grant from the National Science Foundation to develop an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. Virginia Tech (lead institution), OSU and ten companies have already committed to planning a proposed center to focus on wood-based composites. This center would spring from the existing industry-funded Wood-Based Composites Center. Eric Hansen and PhD student Derek Thompson are sub-contractors on a successful NRI competitive grant led by the Portland-based Institute for Culture and Ecology. The WSE component of the project is to investigate knowledge levels and current income sources for private woodland owners with respect to non-timber forest products and ecosystem services.

OWIC PROJECTS: Mike Milota directed the 60th annual Lumber Drying Workshop in December with help from Terry Brown, Rakesh Gupta, Fred Kamke, Barb Lachenbruch, Scott Leavengood, and Jeff Morrell. Several industry speakers also participated. The workshop was attended by 34 industry participants from the Pacific Northwest and Canada.

Scott Leavengood and Chris Knowles visited Contact Industries to discuss how OWIC can work with them on product development and durability testing to improve product offerings.

Scott Leavengood, Eric Hansen, Renhui Qiu, and Günter Modzel visited International Paper's SpaceKraft facility in Salem. SpaceKraft produces bulk packaging containers from kraft paper. The WSE team toured the facility and saw the company's innovative process for producing corrugating medium and a continuous, multi-layer paper product for shipping both solids and liquids. Scott, Chris, and Eric Hansen attended the annual Portland Wholesale Lumber Association’s Christmas luncheon in Portland to continue building a relationship with PWLA.

David Smith and Chris Knowles helped an Oregon-based residue distributor develop an inventory management system. The company has multiple distribution sites around the state and was not effective at determining inventory at each site. A follow-up visit is planned to help with implementing the new system.

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL: Eric Hansen recently served as an opponent in a PhD defense at the Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences in Uppsala. The title of the dissertation was Product Development in the Wood Industry and relied heavily on previous research from OSU. WSE Graduate students Yohanna Cabrera and June Mitsuhashi presented papers at the International Research Group on Wood Protection Americas Regional meeting in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Yohanna's paper was on performance of plantation grown naturally durable species, while June presented her work on moisture uptake in wood/plastic composites.

WINE RACK TESTING SEES EXTENSIVE PRESS COVERAGE: The story about the seismic testing of wine racks done by Rakesh Gupta, Milo Clauson and Ken Martin has seen wide coverage on TV and national newspapers through an article distributed by the Associated Press. The OWIC colleagues evaluated a new product, MightyPine Shelving developed by Newood Display Fixture Mfg. Co. of Eugene, by simulating earthquake loading on wine racks loaded with the equivalent of 30 cases of wine. The tests were successful and the company is actively marketing the new wood product. Rumor has it that the testing caught the attention of Rush Limbaugh!
 
FIELD TRIPS: Fred Kamke led a field trip to the largest hardwood sawmill in the US built by Collins near Boardman, Oregon. He was accompanied by Milo Clauson, and WSE seniors Travis Snapp and John Williamson and also visited the adjacent hybrid poplar plantation managed by GreenWood Tree Farms. Travis and John collected log and lumber samples of hybrid poplar for their senior projects.

Fred Kamke also toured the small log" veneer mill in Lyons Oregon where Kyle Freres and Norm Persons hosted him and coordinated the peeling of some hybrid poplar logs for OSU research.

		John Simonsen collaborated with researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to use their helium ion microscope (there are only 6 of these in the world) to observe cellulose nanocrystal aerogels.

DEPARTMENT OF WOOD SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

What is this? A monthly capsule summary of selected project updates, new ventures, new grants/ contracts/ testing programs, major papers, accomplishments, awards and kudos, other stuff you are proud of, or activities that your colleagues (and DH) might find interesting. The goal is better awareness of the professional activities of faculty, staff and students in Wood Science & Engineering.