Research News
Renneckar's research group is exploring the improved utilization of wood and wood-based by-products in composite materials.
His program emphasizes tailoring the composite's performance by designing the material from the nanoscale upwards, similar to what is found
in natural materials (i.e. "biomimetics"). Based on the bottom-up design strategy in combination with nanoscale particles his group is looking
to address the performance issues related to dimensional stability, decay, and fire resistance for many of the wood-based composites. Dr. Renneckar
comments, "Trees create a remarkable material, wood, where it serves multiple functions both within the plant and our society. The tissue of the
tree forms at ambient conditions — without any hot-presses common to the wood-composites manufacturing process. We are leading an effort
to use a biomimetic approach to assemble the components found in wood, removing the natural variability of the native tissue structure, to still
have a composite material with excellent mechanical performance combined with low weight and low cost."
