FOR 212: Introduction to Sustainable Bioproducts

Course Code: FOR 212

Course Description

This course aims to broaden students’ insight into the breadth and diversity of sustainable bioproducts beyond the conventional uses of biomass for food, firewood, and the construction industry. The course briefly discusses various biomass resources, their variations, and properties, with a primary focus on bioproducts. In addition to common constructional materials such as lumber, timber, logs, composite, and engineered wood products, the course will also cover foods, pharmaceuticals, pulp and papers, packaging materials, and bioenergy while highlighting other emerging technologies in developing value-added products derived from cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin, extractives, bark, and some agricultural wastes such as corn stover and wheat straw.

Course Objectives

This course will serve as an introductory course to our minor program. It emphasizes the importance of sustainable bioproducts and their role in replacing fossil-fuel-based products and petrochemicals. The course introduces students to sustainable bioproducts produced from forest and agricultural wastes.

Upon completion of this course, students should have a good understanding of the following:

Importance of sustainability in mitigating climate change
Basic properties of biomass and variations based on the source.
Timber and lumber-based products (lumber, logs, utility poles, CLT, and Glulam)
Veneer, fiber, or particle-based products (plywood, LVL, MDF, OSB) properties and a basic overview of the processes and applications
Cellulosic products: Pulp and paper and their process overview, nanocrystalline cellulose and cellulose fiber, and their application in emerging technologies such as electronics
Bioenergy and biorefinery concept and overview of the process
Lignin valorization: Biobased adhesives, coatings, foams, and carbon fiber, and their applications in construction, automotive, planes, and electronics
Chemicals, foods, and pharmaceuticals from extractives