Using customized Instron load analysis equipment, scientists and engineers evaluate the mechanical properties and fracture behavior of biomaterials to identify types and varieties of feedstocks.
This laboratory evaluates the chemical and mechanical properties and fracture behavior of biomaterials with complex composite structures of lignin and carbohydrates — seeking to understand the inherent attributes that can improve feedstock collection, handling, and preprocessing. The results will enable a cost-effective and sustainable supply of feedstock to biorefineries.
Research Goals
The goal is to develop reliable and accurate methods of examining and testing the composition and mechanical characteristics of biomaterials — and to determine key relationships between composition and structure — that optimize the quality of biorefinery pretreatment and processing technologies.
Critical Linkages
The methods and tools resulting from these efforts will link feedstock quality, sustainability, preprocessing, bulk handling and storage systems – to downstream pretreatment, hydrolysis, and fermentation operations. This body of research will also contribute analytical data to other research areas focused on the development of computational engineering and post-harvest characterization methods, and preprocessing and feedstock assembly requirements.
Personnel and Capabilities
Technical staff has theoretical and experimental background in composite structures and solid mechanics stress/strain analysis, advanced microscopy and image enhancement, plant physiology, near infrared rapid analysis, quantitative saccharification wet chemistry analysis, organic chemistry, compositional analysis, and hydrolysis and fermentation operations.
Radiograph projection of barley stover
Imaging radiography equipment
Laboratory Equipment
- Three-color laser confocal microscopy system
- Nikon E800/E600 light microscopes – with polarization, phase contrast/dark field, and epifluorescence
- Environmental scanning electron microscope
- FOS NIR forage analyzer
- Leica RM2145 RC microtome
- Still and video imaging systems
- Image Pro Plus and Adobe Photoshop image analysis software
- Instron universal stress/strain load frame
- TA Instruments – Q800 Dynamic Non-contact Mechanical Analysis Instrument
- Kevex 160kVp x-ray generator with an effective source spot size of ~10 microns and an output power of 5W
- PaxScan 2520, 20-cm by 25-cm solid-state silicon detector with a pixel spacing of 0.127-mm, 12-bit digitization per pixel, and readout rates ranging from 1-30 frames/second
- Contact:
- Reuel Smith, (208) 526-3733, Send E-mail