| Project Detail |
The technology proposed by the Georgia Institute of Technology avoids surfactant use to generate a stable foam by instead relying on hydrodynamic means to generate an unstable high-density foam to disperse the fiber into. The fiber mat is formed in a fast dynamic process before loss of integrity of the multi-phase fiber-air bubble mixture. The team will develop a next-generation paper manufacturing system that includes a novel microbubble generator integrated with a next generation headbox that can scale up for commercial production. The proposed approach should reduce the energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with the production of paper, as well as other fiber composites (e.g., tissue, cardboard, nonwovens, and new fiber-based products).
Potential Impact:
The goal of the proposed technology is to replace the current method of manufacturing paper, tissue, and other fiber composite materials with a new process that will significantly reduce associated energy consumption and CO2 emissions. |
