The Bio-Fiber Revolution
Jamaica is bursting with valuable green fiber, including ginger, banana leaf, hemp, sugar cane, and many other plants. Towering above them all is bamboo.
Consider the stunning resume of native Bamboo ‘Vulgaris’:
· Matures in 4-5 years rather than 50-60 years for timber
· Yields 20x more biomass than trees in an equal area
· Provides 35% more oxygen than trees in an equal area
· Absorbs 17 tons of carbon/hectare per year
· Does not require pesticides
· Is 200-300% stronger than timber with tensile strength is greater than steel
These incredible attributes cannot be ignored at this time of climate crisis, when industrial output outweighs nature’s ability to maintain balance. We know that conventional construction materials such as steel and concrete account for as much as 11% of global carbon emissions. This is not acceptable.
In recent years, architects have been using carbon-based materials to stabilize and sequester carbon, creating carbon “sinks.” Jamaica’s abundant green, tropical fibers have the potential to hold vast stores of carbon.
Bamboo pulp can be formed into building materials that are strong and light weight, with a clean, modern appearance. As well as holding carbon when used in construction, these light, fibrous materials can create highly insulated buildings, greatly reducing the energy used to heat and cool, which is responsible for approximately 28% of carbon emissions worldwide. In addition, the use of bamboo pulp will yield greater profits for the factory making the project “win-win”.
Credit: @PannHarmony
Short YouTube clip: “What is Nanocellulose?”
“With increasing environmental and ecological concerns due to the use of petroleum-based chemicals and products, the synthesis of fine chemicals and functional materials from natural resources is of great public value. Nanocellulose may prove to be one of the most promising green materials of modern times due to its intrinsic properties, renewability, and abundance.“
Read the full paper here:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00627
Credit: Wallenberg Foundations
Video explains benefits of wood cellulose
“The hope of researchers from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Chalmers University of Technology, at the Wallenberg Wood Science Center, is to develop new materials and technologies. Replacing oil with wood in the manufacture of plastics and creating stronger, non-flammable materials are some of the goals. Nanocellulose, which is extracted from wood fiber, has several attractive properties. It is as strong as Kevlar, has a low weight and is entirely renewable.”
First Steps and Partnerships
Fiber block construction has been successfully developed in other regions, so to begin we are making use of this expertise by partnering with local engineering programs at The University of Technology and The University of The West Indies, both in Kingston.
We are also talking to The University of Maine, where the Process Development Center is a world leader in paper technologies. Nanocellulose is a relatively new technology with great potential for building materials. We believe that the availability of local fiber and the utilization of state-of-the-art research will lead to a scalable, commercially viable, strong, lightweight, insulating blocks and building panels.
Our first step will be to create a simple, inexpensive block lab to begin engagement between institutions and grow interest among students, faculty, and industry partners.
The lab will require a Retsch Cross Beater Mill SK300, a Brush Master Chipper, and an Auram Press 3000 with various molds. This lab will cost roughly $80,000 including all accessory materials and oversight. It will allow proper research into the properties and viability of different fiber mixes.