Quazeem Tiamiyu

To keep food cool, cooler manufacturers rely on polyurethane foam, which is made from raw chemicals that are hazardous to handle before processing. To reduce health and environmental risks associated with this material, University of Maine graduate student Quazeem Tiamiyu is designing an insulation component for coolers from an unexpected material: wood. Tiamiyu’s wood fiber foam insulation serves as a bio-based alternative to replace polyurethane foam in conventional beverage coolers. Polyurethane is a petroleum-based material that is nonrenewable, slow to degrade and can pollute landfills and waterways while posing health risks for workers who handle it. …Tiamiyu’s foam consists of cellulose nanofibrils, wood fiber, finely ground wood flour and a surfactant that enables high foam volume. Cellulose nanofibrils act as both a binder and a stabilizer, the cellulose nanofibrils create strong web-like structures in the base materials — the wood fiber and wood flour.