Workshops

Workshop [A] The bioenergy sector

Energy production is currently a major global issue. Not only does the price of petrol keep increasing, but wind energy projects and building or expansion of electrical dams, gas and natural gas pipelines all create intense reactions among people throughout the world. We are therefore faced with the necessity of developing clean and renewable sources of energy, such as bioenergy. Bioenergy is the result of the use of biomass for energy purposes, when it is used as a fuel to produce heat or electricity.

This workshop will enable participants to debate the opportunities involved in producing bioenergy from the forest biomass in the Haut-Saint-François. Industry representatives and participants in the sector will be present to enrich the discussion.

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Workshop [B] The biofuels sector

When we hear the word “biofuel”, we usually think of the car that runs on used cooking oils or the ethanol that is produced from corn. The use of forest residues to produce biofuels is less well known. Biofuels include a vast range of fuels that are produced from renewable and non-fossil organic matter, and they include forest residues. In the coming years, we will probably hear more and more about research on the transformation of wood lignin and cellulose into alcohol and gas, especially as corn-derived ethanol presents certain problems with regard to competition for land use in food production.

This workshop will present the possibilities for the use of forest residues from the Haut-Saint-François for the production of biofuels. Industry representatives and participants in the sector will be present to enrich the discussion.

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Workshop [C] Extractables and green chemistry products

To some, extractables and green chemistry products appear to be as mysterious as alchemy, but the fact is that this sector still has many secrets to reveal. The free molecules called extractables are found in the porous structure of wood and are extracted using solvents. The boreal forest is very rich in plant species that may prove to be an important source of new cosmetic agents, food, pharmaceuticals, etc. The use of this resource can be achieved without hindering the more conventional uses of wood and residues, thus bringing an added value to lumber processing.

Green chemistry refers to the use of new processes and products in chemistry to replace dangerous substances. Therefore, the physical risks are decreased with regard to the manipulation of explosive, carcinogenic or flammable substances, and the impact of our activities on the environment is thus reduced. With a growing interest for biodegradable products and materials, we should count on becoming more familiar with green chemistry.

This workshop will allow participants to discover a less well-known potential use of the forest. Industry representatives and participants in the sector will be present to enrich the discussion.

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Workshop [D] The fibres and polymers sector

In forest sector, just as in many others, the search is on to find ways of using resources as optimally as possible. This is when wood panels become an interesting alternative for the industry. But how can we talk about wood panels without mentioning the glues that allow them to be produced?

Currently, glues and adhesives are appreciated as much for their appearance (joints) as for their practicality, such as in panels made from lignin-cellulose residues. Wood science is constantly evolving, and we already know that according to the type of glue used, the pressure and heat applied during pressing, the species of tree, and the density of the panel, many different applications are possible. Some panels will therefore have a better resistance to weather variations than others. Some of these composites may also be used in building structures, whereas others are better suited to furniture and mouldings. The possibilities emerging from the fibres and polymers sector are therefore particularly interesting and varied.

This workshop will present the different possibilities of fibres and polymers. Industry representative and participants in the sector will be present to enrich the discussion.