“The search for new connections between past research and current challenges results in something new.”
to introduce us to two or three of the most interesting ways to make use of forest-based biomaterials. He quickly mentions at least five areas of application and a number of sub-categories for each, many of them overlapping. “You can not choose only one success story in this line of work,” he adds. Let us start with raw materials. The wood material – or lignocellulose – is composed of cellulose and hemicellu- lose, as well as the wood’s own glue, lignin. In the wood, these building blocks are organised into fibres, and they also remain as fibres in the pulp made from the wood. Both fibres and their building blocks can be used in new materials when refined and treated to various levels, to- gether and apart. At the rough end, the fibre is still called a fibre, while at the finer end it is a nanoscale fibril – or nanocellulose. “What is essential is that the properties of fibres are al- ways different in different directions, and this should be exploited across all scales.” Everyone can observe this when tearing up paper in different directions, but Rojas is referring to something more than just the strength of the fibre. The direction also has an impact on the fibre’s capacity to conduct or insulate, be it heat, sound or electricity. In addition, the direction influences the fibre’s ability to reflect light and interact with water. “Another extremely important property of fibre is that it allows us to adjust how quickly or slowly we want the biomaterial to break apart.” INSULATION, COATINGS AND MEDICAL PATCHES Rojas says that the most interesting applications of fibre largely involve people’s everyday lives: housing, clothing, food and health. “Foamed wood fibre can be used as insulation, and Finns have already come a long way in this already. We can also exploit cellulose’s capacity for storing and releasing heat
energy in textiles and construction, for example. At Aalto University, we are even looking into the use of biomaterials in things like solar panels and batteries. In fact, energy and light management as a whole offers some great op- portunities.” Rojas expects biomaterials to become more common in paints and coatings as well, because they can provide antimicrobial properties, protection against UV radiation and fire, and even colours without dyes or pigments. Cellulose and lignin are also being examined in terms of a suitable structure for emulsions such as juices, yoghurts and toothpaste. Many solutions are already in use, but Ro- jas predicts that structural help will also be needed in the 3D printing of food in the future. Rojas’s research teams are also targeting 3D printable products, such as medical patches, which could be used internally in the treatment of heart and other medical conditions. “Cellulose is an excellent material. It is flexible and bio- degradable, and it can be modified to administer medicine – or to direct an electrical or magnetic field – directly to the tissue.” WANTED – YOUNG, GIFTED SCIENTISTS Rojas makes smooth transitions from basic research to fu- ture applications when he talks, but in reality, the journey is long and complicated. This is why his research teams also include design professionals, a ceramic artist and a film costume designer. “They create great examples of what you can do with the new biomaterials, and importantly, they connect us with society.” It is especially important for Rojas to forge good connec- tions with product developers and the industrial sector, which is what he started working on as soon as he moved to Finland. His efforts in 2018 led to the establishment of “FinnCERES” by Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd.
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