News Center Maine reports on UMaine research about alternative use for paper mill products
News Center Maine reported that researchers at the University of Maine are studying new applications for paper mill products. Liza White, UMaine biomedical engineering graduate student and Rumford native, and Caitlin Howell, associate professor of biomedical engineering at UMaine, are studying paper products manufactured by Sappi North America, which operates mills in Westbrook and Skowhegan. A big focus of their studies is textured paper and film, which is produced at a fast rate in mass quantities. Major applications include low-cost water quality detection and generating microdroplets for medical use. “We’re getting into the digital age where we’re not using paper as often as we used to. I had the unique perspective of seeing how the economy is truly affected by the mills closing,” White said.