In October, IPST director Norman Marsolan, in collaboration with Georgia Tech/IPST faculty, announced consortium project initiatives in five areas important to IPST member companies.  The principal investigators for each project conducted information sessions throughout October, and member companies are now subscribing to the projects.  The projects could launch early in 2014.

The project areas chosen stem from the industry’s priorities as discerned by Agenda 2020’s Board of Directors.  In April 2013, the Agenda 2020 board refocused the organization’s research priorities into five priority areas, as shown in the graphic. The technology alliance has organized teams to tackle each priority by reviewing what is known, identifying research gaps and potential ways to address them, and establishing circles of expertise. IPST hosted team meeting of two of those teams during September in conjunction with Agenda 2020’s quarterly meeting (see related article).

Each IPST consortium research proposal addresses one of the five priorities. The project titles and research leaders are:

Priority Area

Principal Investigator

Project Title

Advanced Pulping

A. Ragauskas

Wood Chip Activation For Next-Generation Kraft Pulping/ Bleaching Technology

Black Liquor Concentration

S. Nair

Robust Membranes For Concentration Of Black Liquor

Drier Web

D. Rosen

Novel Press Fabric Design And Manufacture To Improve Dewatering

Reuse of Process Effluents

P. Singh

Corrosion Control In Paper Machines Using Reduced Fresh Water

Cellulosic Nanomaterials

Y. Deng 
A. Ragauskas

Green Packaging With Cellulose Nanomaterials

Companies interested in participating—regardless of membership status—should contact Norman Marsolan
(norman.marsolan@ipst.gatech.edu) as soon as possible.