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News

February 2025

Schools day at Tŷ Gwyrddfai considers future climates

On the 13th Of February Dr Simon Curling from the BioComposites Centre joined experts from Altro, Nuaire, Saint Gobain and Travis Perkins at the ADRA decarbonisation hub, Tŷ Gwyrddfai, in Penygroes for a schools day. The exhibitors delivered a day of hands on and classroom activities based on sustainable construction and reaching net zero carbon. ADRA are the largest social housing association in North Wales and are a strategic partner of the University.

61 pupils from Castell Alun High School in Flintshire came to Tŷ Gwyrddfai for the day to gain insights into possible career paths in green skills and construction. Dr Curling introduced them to the BioComposites Centre's onsite research facility and explained why the construction industry needs to adapt to climate change.

The facility, called the Living Lab, is a very large climate chamber which enables full size walls to be constructed within it for environmental simulations. In the chamber one side is maintained at conditions typically found in Welsh homes and the other side is able to replicate the varied conditions that the Welsh climate can produce! This enables both existing, as well as future innovative materials and construction practices, to be tested to extremes before being used in homes. Combining this information with the onsite, skill based education provided by ADRA and their partners will provide a unique opportunity for the partnership to develop skilled and sustainable careers in the sector and North Wales region.

Visiting China on Royal Society International Exchange

Prof. Graham Ormondroyd and Dr. Qiuyun Liu visited China in January 2025, supported by the Royal Society (RS) International Exchange funds. Over the 12-day trip, they visited a research institute in Beijing (CAAS), two universities (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU) and Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT)) as well as several companies involved in blowing polymer films, a vegetable field station, and MDF and particleboard production.

The primary objective of the visit was to exchange research outcomes from Bangor University with Chinese researchers and explore opportunities for joint projects. A series of meetings were held with Susan Jiang, Chief Representative of the Welsh Government, as well as with research institutes, universities, and companies. These meetings included presentations from both sides and discussions on potential research collaborations.

Both Graham and Qiuyun found this visit to be a valuable opportunity to promote the research work at the Biocomposites Centre, Bangor University, and to engage with researchers in China. They expressed their gratitude to the Royal Society for its funding support.

NICER case study published

A recent collaboration between BC and Pennotec on sustainable composite materials has led to publication of a case study on the CE-Hub website. Funded by the UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER), the project sought to create a composite material for building surfaces which could resist 'biofouling' or algae growth. Recycling, or closing the loop, was an important part of the innovation.

The product incorporated mussel shells, a waste product of the food industry, and copper, to achieve a composite which will offer 15 year service life and low maintenance solution. As a side benefit, the project generated data about other fractions from the mussel shell, for future recycling opportunities. The circularity innovation also included a systems thinking approach - considering the reuse of the composite at the end of its own service life. A circular economy business model was developed to return the panels for recycling into new materials. This led to laser embedded tracking codes and a reverse logistics business model. Read more about the findings here.

January 2025

Cell wall diffusion study published

A collaboration between recent BC PhD student, Carlo Kupfernagel, and Warwick University has led to a high quality research paper in Biomacromolecules journal. Seedcorn funding was accessed to allow this innovative investigation into fundamental aspects of wood modification processes.

The research considered the migration of resin monomers (the wood modification agents) into the spaces surrounding microfibrils within the wood cell wall. It used solid state magic angle spinning NMR (1H and 13C) to consider the readjustment of hemicelluloses under different diffusion conditions. Read the full paper at the ACS Biomacromolecules website.

Since gaining his PhD from Bangor University in the spring of 2024, Carlo has been continuing his wood science career at the Institut fur Holztechnologie Dresden.

December 2024

Successful TransFIRe project completion

The TransFIRe project has successfully concluded after three productive years. Recognising the substantial impact that the foundation industries have on both the economy and the environment, the project worked to foster a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to enhancing sustainability, efficiency and innovation.

During the project staff from the BioComposites Centre worked alongside Cranfield (lead), Sheffield Hallam, Leeds, Brunel, Northumberland and Exeter Universities, as well as many companies. The consortium explored over 350 industrial symbiosis opportunities to increase efficiency through colaboration and co-product re-use.

The final report for the project is available to download from the TransFIRe webpage, and summarises the progress and areas addressed. The final report highlights the project's impact on creating innovative materials and processes, contributing to potential energy savings of up to 20% and a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions.

July 2024

Embraching Agile methodologies in research

Staff from across the university were welcomed to a workshop hosted by Dr Athanasios Dimitriou on 15th July. Athanasios has been passionate about Agile methodologies and their use in the research environment for quite some time, and secured funding from the University's Enhancing Research Culture Awards scheme to host the event.

Athanasios has been working with Prof Rosalind Jones from the Business School to develop the concept and explore its potential for Bangor. The event was well attended from across other schools and colleges of the University. Tony Richards, an Agile consultant, was invited to present key concepts, and gave many tips and tricks for using Agile in innovation and research. The event generated great feedback and plenty of opportunities for future development.

Centre for Efficient Timber Recovery and Recycling

New project, CETReR, or the Centre for Efficient Timber Recovery and Recycling, has been launched last month. The CETReR project is funded by Welsh Government and will translate wood processing knowledge at the BioComposites Centre in Bangor University into practical options and solutions for waste recovery professionals, businesses and community enterprises. We are keen to hear from local companies who engage in recycling, sorting or re-use of timber, and will be reaching out to the business community in coming months.

The project was promoted at the recent WoodBuild event, held by Woodknowledge Wales in Swansea on 3-4 July. Dr Morwenna Spear and Prof Graham Ormondroyd were present, with an exhibit demonstrating the many uses for wood and recycled wood in construction materials and other innovations.

The CETReR project seeks to increase the proportion that is recycled into usable products - an important part of the circular economy, and helps reduce waste within Wales. Recycling and reuse extend the carbon storage in new service lives - contributing to greenhouse gas mitigation, while also increasing material efficiency. The team are excited to look at new options for segregation, sorting, reuse, innovation and value adding.

May 2024

Visit to Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science

In May, Dr Qiuyun Liu visited China at the invitation of Professor Liu Qi of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) supported by the Royal Society under the International Exchanges 2022 Cost Share program (NSFC, IEC\NSFC\223123). The trip consisted of lectures and meetings with staff and students at Plant Protection College, Shenyang Agricultural University and the Institute of Western Agriculture, CAAS, as well as visits to the field trial sites in Shenyang and Xijiang, China.

Qiuyun gave a well-received lecture about the development of zero-waste agricultural films for crops in China. The lecture covered the reviews of mulch film applications in the UK, the key findings from our previous UK-China joint project (ZEWAMFI) and the potential to end mulch film residual pollutions via soil degradable mulch film. New research ideas were exchanged during the group discussions and field visits.

The visit provided a good opportunity for knowledge exchange, networking and relationship building. There was much common ground between all four parties with the development of biodegradable mulching films being a key research interest for all.

Annual Report 2023 now available

The Annual Report for 2023 is now available for download from the BC website. It highlights a vast number of projects from regenerative agriculture in the TRIP project to advanced packaging from seaweed extracts. It also includes reported from visits to Uganda, Ethiopia, Brazil, Crete and Malaysia.

Always a showcase for the diverse activities and engagements by the Centre, the report also features the return of the IPPS conference as well as trade events, workshops, cultural events and conferences as well as updates on staff. Download the report here.

April 2024

Wood Modification Experts gather in Italy

Dr Morwenna Spear caught up with our most recently completed PhD student Dr Carlo Kupfernagel at ECWM11 in Florence this month. It was great to see Carlo present some of his work using NMR techniques to study modified wood in the Analysis session on Day 2 of the conference. Carlo's thesis considered many aspects of wood modification using PUF resins, looking at chemical interactions, processing conditions and effects of scale on the physical properties and cell wall changes.

The European Conference on Wood Modification is the must-attend event of the calendar for those engaged in research in wood modification - whether thermal modification or chemical modification, and increasingly a raft of other modification systems. The event featured a stunning lineup of speakers for the New Trends session, for example, considering nanostructured composites based on wood with extended functionality. The opportunity to capture the hierarchical structure of wood has been capilatised on for biomimetic products as well as switchable solar transmittance and many other high-tech developments.

Dr Spear made use of the opportunity to showcase work on laser incision for timber treatment. In the case of wood modification it is not possible to rely on envelope treatments or to allow imperfect distribution of the treatment fluids in the wood. Laser incision offers the chance to work with the 'harder to treat' species.

The conference was excellently organised, and crammed full of scientific presentations! The location provided two amazing evening networking events, and all delegates returned home with plenty to think about.

September 2023

London Calling

We have a busy week of meetings in London this month, starting in the House of Lords on Monday the 11th September with Dr. Viacheslav Tverezovskiy exhibiting our research on natural biodegradable packaging materials and highlighting our projects with Plantsea Ltd and Pulpex.

On Thursday Prof Graham Ormondroyd will be at Welsh Government's London Office for an Energy Day event. Here he will be talking about our research on bio-based insulation materials linked to our Living Lab project with housing association ADRA.

And finally Dr Rob Elias will be attending the TTJ Awards on Friday with MDF Recovery Ltd, and will be promoting our International Panel Products Symposium (IPPS 2023) held on the 3rd and 4th of October. Watch out for updates on X (@BCmaterials).

August 2023

Artist working with local natural materials

Local artist Manon Awst has been collaborating with the BioComposites Centre to develop works using natural materials. The project 'Sticky Sculptures' is inspired by the peat fens on the West of Anglesey and Traeth Mawr near Porthmadog. Materials such as mussel shells, grass and algae from the sites have been investigated and experimented with to create a response to the place. Outputs include an exhibition at Plas Brondanw, which overlooks the polder which inspired the work, as well as a talk and open day.

As part of the research process, Manon, who is currently studying for a PhD at Bangor University, has been working with materials specialist Dr Simon Curling from the BioComposites Centre to investigate the textures, forms and properties of natural materials connected to the two sites. Manon has used equipment and facilities from BC to transform these materials, and bring them together to develop new sculptural composites for her current body of work and beyond.

Manon's exhibition 'Wetland Dreams'/'Breuddwidion Gorsiog' is running at Plas Brondanw, Llanfrothen, until 16th September. The work is supported by the Arts Council for Wales within their Creative Nature colaboration with Natural Resources Wales.

July 2023

BioComposites Centre at WoodBuild

Part of the BC Materials team took a display to WoodBuild in Lampeter to showcase their work testing capabilities. The event, which was organised by WoodKnowledge Wales, was well attended by businesses from across Wales, including sawmills, housebuilders, architects, a wide range of training providers and policy makers. This led to some excellent conversations and opportunities to discuss pressing issues in the timber frame housing sector, the forest industry and the way timber can contribute to solving the climate crisis.

BC has a long-standing relationship with WoodKnowledge Wales, so we were pleased to support this event and see such a good mix of delegates gaining from the presentations and events. Dr Morwenna Spear, from BC, contributed to a forest walk, led by experts from a team convened over the winter to consider the future challenges for forestry in Wales. The trip visited Longwood Community Forest to discuss future climate and species resilience, while also introducing some basic forestry concepts to the architects, engineers and designers present.

March 2023

Tree Sense exhibition features BioComposites Centre research

Researchers from the BioComposites Centre are showcasing their work at Tree Sense exhibition in Pontio, Bangor. The installation includes images from scientific studies of timber treatments, properties and chemistry, alongside the natural world and explores links between the bio-inspiration for technological developments. Other exhibits explore research from the University, creative writing and artworks commissioned for the event, there is plenty to see and explore.

The opening night, on Friday 3rd May, was a great success, featuring multi-disciplinary contributions from artists, scientists, poets, musicians, ecologists and tree enthusiasts. The exhibition runs until 27th May, including various in-person workshops and performances. Tree Sense has recieved funding and support from HEFCW, UKCEH, Arts Council for Wales, Lottery, Welsh Government, Coed Lleol and the University.

October 2022

BioComposites Centre moves buildings

The BioComposites Centre offices have been relocated to the Memorial Building on the Science Site at Bangor University, as of 14th October.

Safety concerns have rapidly brought forward the University's decision to close the Alun Roberts Tower to prepare it for demolition. As a consequence, the BioComposites Centre has moved and set up its offices in the Memorial Building nearby.

While the office space has been rapidly re-established, there will be some disruption to our day to day laboratory activity. We are managing the migration of laboratory facilities as best we can, and keeping our project partners, clients and other contacts informed of any interruptions. Many of our facilities in Mona and materials characterisation are continuing to run as normal. Do contact us if you have queries about impact on current or future work.

We would also like to say a big thank you to all our staff that helped in the move!

As the migration within campus is relatively small any post sent to Alun Roberts Building will still reach us, and telephone numbers will continue to work. Our new postal address is:

The BioComposites Centre, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW

New dates announced for IPPS 2023

The International Panel Products Symposium (IPPS) will return to Llandudno in 2023. The dates for the event are 3rd and 4th October, and the venue will be the Imperial Hotel.

Further details and the call for papers will be available on our website shortly. Call back soon for more information.

September 2022

Research opportunities with us

We are currently offering two Masters by Research (MRes) studentships through the KESS2 programme. Successful applicants would start this autumn. These projects link with industrial companies and give the opportunity for research that will deliver innovation and sustainability to real life challenges. Both opportunities are within the BC Materials group in Bangor but with time spent at the partner company. The full descriptions and application instructions can be read on the links below.

Understanding the environment profile of Welsh wool for non-textile applications. This project will use life cycle assessment (LCA) to assess the environmental profile of processed British sheep's wool. The project is supported by British Wool.

Development of laser-aided timber drying. This project will investigate the potential of laser incision for improving timber permeability and treatability. This project is supported by Millennium Lasers.

Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarships (KESS 2) is a pan-Wales higher level skills initiative led by Bangor University on behalf of the HE sector in Wales. It is part funded by the Welsh Government's European Social Fund (ESF) convergence programme for West Wales and the Valleys. Due to ESF funding, eligibility restrictions apply to this scholarship. To be eligible, the successful candidate will need to be resident in the Convergence Area of Wales on University registration, and must have the right to work in the region on qualification.

August 2022

BC authors contribute book chapter on wool for composites

A new book on wool-based composites has been published by Elsevier this month. Wool Fiber Reinforced Composites is now available on pre-order from the publisher. The title is edited by Sabu Thomas and Seiko Jose, and a chapter was contributed by BC scientists Simon Curling and Graham Ormondroyd. The chapter on Moisture interactions of wool and wool-based composites includes many insights into water sorption on sheep's wool, based on pioneering research at the BioComposites Centre. The implications for wool in composites are considered.

July 2022

Exciting return to in-person Timber 2022 conference

BC staff and students contributed three presentations at the recent Timber 2022 conference in London. The event, organised by the Wood Technology Group of the IOM3, was a great success, spanning the extremely broad range of UK timber research. A highlight of the day was the keynote address by Matthew Caldwell and Natasha Watson, of Buro Happold, considering the challenges and opportunities of engineering with timber.

KESS 2 funded PhD student Carlo Kupfernagel presented his work on widening the species mix for resin modification systems. BC’s Head of Materials Research Graham Ormondroyd posed a series of questions and challenges for decarbonising the timber industries, and presented some areas where timber and paper have led the way towards a circular economy. Morwenna Spear also provoked discussion on the topic of carbon accounting, carbon sequestration and displacement.

January 2022

SMART Cymru supports collaboration to develop food-safe preservatives from mushroom by-products

A project funded by SMART Cymru, with collaboration between Pennotec and the BioComposites Centre, will develop food-safe preservatives from mushroom by-products. Stalks and trimmings are an unavoidable by-product of mushroom production, with mushroom farmers disposing of tens of tonnes of trimmings and associated compost every week. Fungi are a sustainable source of chitosans – natural fibres with anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties, which are mainly produced in multi-thousand tonne per annum quantities from crustacean shells.

A collaboration between Pennotec (Pennog Ltd) and the BioComposites Centre (Bangor University) and the Centre for Environmental Biotechnology (Bangor University) aims to research environmentally sustainable methods for the preparation of high quality, food grade chitosans from mushroom trimmings. Through the application of advanced analytical techniques and expertise available at Bangor University, the Project team aims to determine whether the Pennotec’s bio-refining techniques can produce chitosans that are free of traces of compost.

If successful, this project could bring new products to the market, increasing productivity and help to reduce economic and environmental costs. It is anticipated that two new jobs will be created to support the process scale-up.

The Project Consortium acknowledges the support from European Regional Development Fund and Welsh Government.

January 2020

Completed KTP Associateship with Lignia

BC staff celebrated with Bronia Stefanowski as she completed her two-year KTP Associateship with Lignia Wood Company Ltd. Her work during the placement, which has successfully embedded knowledge and new technical methods into the company, gained praise from both academic and company supervisors at the closing meeting. Bronia is pictured presenting a selection of results from her work at the Timber 2019 conference last year.

The Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme allows recent graduates, or recent postgraduates, to be placed with a company to address challenges or development opportunities identified by the company, with funding and support from Innovate UK. If you are interested in working with BC and securing a KTP Associate for your company, do speak to our project managers to find out more.