UBCO prof could win a forest industry award for creating better paper
A UBC Okanagan professor working to develop a greener oil-and-grease resistant paper has been nominated for a forestry innovation award.
Kevin Golovin, assistant professor of engineering, is one of two Canadian finalists for the Blue Sky Young Researchers and Innovation Award.
The award, given out by the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations, is presented to a forest sector researcher or professional under the age of 30.
Golovin’s work on next-generation water- and oil-repellent coatings was inspired by the desire to develop greener and more eco-friendly alternatives to replace harmful perfluorinated compounds traditionally used, explained the Forest Products Association of Canada in a news release.
PFCs cause food packaging paper to be considered nonbiodegradable as they take hundreds of years to naturally break down.
The silicone technology developed by Golovin is biodegradable so it solves this issue, while also reducing a mill’s carbon footprint, as PFC production is carbon-intensive.
Also nominated is Veronique Rouleau, a PhD candidate in forest sciences at Laval University, who is researching carbon sequestration and climatechange mitigation through forestry practices.
“The leading-edge research being conducted by Ms. Rouleau and Dr. Golovin are two examples of what puts Canada’s forest products sector at the forefront of innovation, and we are excited about their ability to
compete on the world stage,” said FPAC President and CEO Derek Nighbor.
“The work of our two finalists is aimed at tackling real problems with innovative solutions that can mean better environmental outcomes for the industry and society – and for that they should both be congratulated.”
Twenty-one international finalists will be chosen and will present their projects in a virtual session during the week of April 26.
Golovin is also working on other water-repelling research at UBCO. Last year, he received a grant to develop a coating created at the Okanagan Polymer Engineering Research and Applications lab for use in health-care face shields.
An anti-ice coating for windshields and other surfaces is another research project he’s involved with.