10/6/2010
As a result of a recent license agreement with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Corn Board Manufacturing Inc. (CBMI), will utilize a corn-based structural composite technology initially developed by Illinois’ inventors Nancy Sottos, Scott White, and Thomas Mackin. CBMI’s primary product is labeled CornBoard™.
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As a result of a recent license agreement with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Corn Board Manufacturing Inc. (CBMI), will utilize a corn-based structural composite technology initially developed by Illinois’ inventors Nancy Sottos, Scott White, and Thomas Mackin. CBMI’s primary product is labeled CornBoard™.
“We are pleased to be working with CBMI, a company that is dedicated to repurposing an agricultural byproduct into new and diverse products,” stated Lesley Millar, director of the Office of Technology Management at Illinois.
The research group--that included Sottos, a professor in materials science and engineering, White, a professor of aerospace engineering, and Thomas Mackin, a former faculty member and current professor of mechanical engineering at California Polytechnic State University--invented the structural composite board out of corn husks that produces a board that can be used instead of oriented strand boards in a variety of applications.
Named "CornBoard™," the material is made of corn husks and stalks (commonly referred to as corn stover) that normally remain in the field after corn is harvested. The structural composite is prepared by mixing the fibrous corn component with a polymer matrix, laminating the mixture, and applying heat and pressure.
For every acre of corn grown, (over 86 million acres are grown annually in the U.S), more than 4,000 pounds of corn stover is left in the field. In contrast to traditional particle board, plywood, or medium-density fiberboard--which utilize wood and wood and sawdust--CornBoard™ is made by repurposing this underutilized biomass material. Typically, when biomass is left to decompose in the field, the CO2 previously captured and consumed by the growing plant is released back into the atmosphere. Conversely, when the corn stover is made into CornBoard™, the CO2 is “trapped” in the material, adding to its value as a "green" technology.
According to CBMI, just two acres of leftover corn stover biomass would produce enough CornBoard™ to build a two-story house supplying the roof decking, flooring, and outer wall sheathing. CBMI uses a non-toxic resin binder in CornBoard™ production. This method is a safer and more environmentally conscious choice than a traditional formaldehyde-base binder.
CBMI can produce CornBoard™ in varying densities, allowing for a variety of applications. Due to this flexibility, CornBoard™ is not limited to being a wood composite board replacement, but is also being developed into a variety of products including home and lawn furniture, kitchen cabinets, door cores, and even a full line of longboards (skateboards).
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Contact: Nicole Nair, Office of Technology Management, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 217/244‐5011.
If you have any questions about the College of Engineering, or other story ideas, contact Rick Kubetz, Engineering Communications Office, 217/244-7716, editor.