A graduate student at the University of Maine has developed a new type of wood-based foam that could one day replace the plastic insulation used in many drink coolers.
The new material is made mostly from wood products and offers a more environmentally friendly alternative to the petroleum-based foam commonly found inside ice chests.
Most people never think about what keeps their cooler cold, but many coolers are insulated with polyurethane foam.
This material works well because it slows the transfer of heat, helping ice last longer.
However, polyurethane is made from petroleum and requires toxic chemicals during manufacturing.
It is also slow to break down after disposal, adding to landfill waste and environmental pollution.
Quazeem Tiamiyu, a master’s student in the University of Maine’s School of Forest Resources, wants to change that.
Working in the university’s Laboratory of Renewable Nanomaterials, he has designed a foam made from renewable wood materials that performs almost as well as conventional polyurethane insulation.
Tiamiyu began the project after earning his bachelor’s degree in Nigeria and joining the research team led by Professor Mehdi Tajvidi. Their goal is to develop safer and more sustainable materials that can replace petroleum-based products in everyday life.
The new foam is made from several wood-derived ingredients. These include wood fiber, finely ground wood flour and tiny fibers called cellulose nanofibrils.
These ultrafine fibers are produced by breaking down wood pulp into strands much thinner than a human hair.
They help bind the other ingredients together and create a strong network that gives the foam its structure. A surfactant, which helps create bubbles, is also added to produce the foam.
The manufacturing process is surprisingly simple. The ingredients are mixed together in a blender to create foam, which is then poured into molds shaped like cooler inserts. Water is removed from the molds, and the foam is dried before being placed inside a protective plastic shell.
When the researchers tested the material, they found that its ability to slow heat transfer was very close to that of polyurethane foam. In other words, it insulated almost as well as the material currently used in commercial coolers.
Although the early results are encouraging, several challenges remain before the new foam can be widely used. Unlike polyurethane, which is injected as a liquid directly into a cooler’s outer shell, the wood-based foam must first be made, dried and then fitted into the cooler. This extra step makes manufacturing more complicated.
The researchers also need to improve the foam’s strength. If it becomes crushed during everyday use, its ability to keep items cold can decrease. Future testing will also compare how long coolers made with the new material can keep ice frozen compared with traditional products.
Another exciting possibility is that the foam could eventually be recycled and reshaped. Tiamiyu hopes the finished material can be mixed with water again and molded into different products, making transportation and manufacturing more flexible while reducing waste.
Although more work is needed, the project shows that renewable materials from the forestry industry could provide practical alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. If successful, the wood-based foam could help make future coolers safer to produce, more sustainable and less harmful to the environment.
