Who We Are
The Genesis of an Industry
We are proud to have an exceptional group of individuals and companies working with the Composite Materials & Engineering Center, with each with diverse background, bringing unique skills and expertise to the table.
OUR VALUE PROPOSITION
If you’ve got the idea, we’ve got the technical know-how to help you implement it.
We know the codes and standards and can help you be the first to market with your idea or project.
We’ve got the R&D facilities to help you innovate. We are nimble and responsive partners.
We can find ways to improve your existing manufacturing processes to become more efficient and profitable.
New products can be exciting, but code compliance is a necessity if you want to get to market. We can guide you through the maze to help you reach your goal.
Our facility are experienced in developing test standards for new materials and developing design specifications recognized by building codes.
The Genesis of an Industry
Just 60 years ago, lumber mills burned residual materials that, at the time, were perceived as waste. Then Tom Maloney, one of the founders of what is now called CMEC, discovered creative ways to transform wood waste into useful building products. That was the development of particleboard, a product now used all over the world.
Particleboard was a great invention and, if the CMEC team had stopped there, it would have created enormous value all on its own. But Maloney and his colleagues realized they had also discovered a technological platform, the foundation for the development of a vast variety of wood-composite materials
The Next Wave
Today, CMEC is also leading research in biofuels and biochemicals. WSU researchers are developing technologies that will provide liquid fuels as well as renewable versions of platform chemicals, polymers, and nanotechnologies. The ground zero for this new industry has been the biorefinery, but the vision that is emerging may move us to a more mature view, one that envisions a supply chain meshed with our industries’ current products.
A Second Life: Turning Low-Value Waste into Industry-Building Riches
About 15 years ago, our current generation of CMEC researchers discovered a way to combine waste plastics and natural fibers into wood-plastic composites. This was a revolution that built another industry—durable composite materials that can be used in exposed outdoor applications but without the need for preservative chemicals, some of which have negative environmental impacts.
Even better, the new, natural fiber-reinforced thermo-plastic composites can be extruded into novel shapes not previously possible. With superior durability and lower cost manufacturing requirements, this sector grew into a $1 billion industry in North America.
