The University of Maine is the heart of Nanocellulose Valley and is leading nanocellulose research in the United States. Researchers across campus are exploring the possibilities of using nanocellulose in a wide variety of applications, from building products to food packaging to biomedical devices.  Many of these discoveries have resulted in patented technology, which is available to license.

Nanocellulose Research Spotlight

headshot of Dr. Doug BousfieldDr. Doug Bousfield
Director, Paper Surface Science Program

Leveraging the grease/oxygen barrier properties of nanocellulose in packaging

headshot of professor Michael Mason

Dr. Michael Mason
Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Using nanocellulose to make bio-compatible bone replacements

headshot of professor Mehdi Tajvidi

Dr. Mehdi Tajvidi
Assistant Professor of Renewable Nanomaterials

Exploring wood-based packaging and building products using nanocellulose

$4.8M will upgrade Forest Bioproducts Research Institute facilities, bolster bioproduct research Equipment upgrades to UMaine's Process Development Center will boost nanocellulose production.
Three people stand around machinery at UMaine's Synthetic Crude Oil Pilot Plant (SynCOPP).

Selected Recent Publications

A small sample of recent publications from UMaine researchers involving the study of nanocellulose.

A comparative study of methods for porosity determination of cellulose based porous materials
Muhammad R. Hossen, Matthew W. Talbot, Raymond Kennard, Douglas W. Bousfield & Michael D. Mason, Cellulose, 2020

Cellulose and lignocellulose nanofibril suspensions and films: A comparison
Amini, E., Hafez, I., Tajvidi, M., & Bousfield, D. W., Carbohydrate Polymers, 2020

Towards the scale-up production of cellulose nanocomposites using melt processing: A critical review on structure-processing-property relationships
Wang, L., Gardner, D. J., Wang, J., Yang, Y., Tekinalp, H. L., Tajvidi, M., & Ozcan, S., Composites Part B: Engineering, 2020

Cellulose nanofibrils versus cellulose nanocrystals: Comparison of performance in flexible multilayer films for packaging applications
Hafez, I., Amini, E., & Tajvidi, M., Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 2020

Isolation of lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNF) and application as adhesive replacement in wood composites: example of fiberboard
Cherif Ibrahima Khalil Diop, Mehdi Tajvidi, Michael A. Bilodeau, Douglas W. Bousfield and John F. Hunt, Cellulose, 2017

Effects of cellulosic nanofibrils on papermaking properties of fine papers
Donna A. Johnson, Mark A. Paradis, Michael A. Bilodeau, Bruce Crossley, Marc Foulger and Pierre Gélinas, TAPPI Journal, 2016