Searching for 'Green' Gold in the Amazon
Department: FSAD
In a hunt for plants in the Amazon rain forest that have potential to be used for sustainable light-weight construction beams, electronic cases or other high-performance materials, Cornell fiber science professors Anil Netravali and Juan Hinestroza are forging new collaborations with researchers in Brazil.
"The Amazon is incredibly rich in plant species that provide unique challenges to materials chemistry," Hinestroza said. "Some of these fiber-producing plants have extraordinary properties that could be harnessed to produce high-performance materials in a truly sustainable fashion."