Ning Yan
Ph.D., P.Eng.
Professor
Endowed Value-Added Wood and Composite Chair
Room: ES3037
Tel: (416) 946 8070
Fax: (416) 978 3834
Email: ning.yan@utoronto.ca
Research Interests:
Professor Yan specializes in forest-based biomaterials science and composites, bio-based adhesives and adhesion, digital printing, and surface sciences of paper. Currently, her research group is focused on developing novel environmentally-friendly green bio-based composites, producing green chemicals using renewable forestry biomass as feedstock, and the next generation high valued paper based products.
Professor Yan is cross-appointed to the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry and is a founding member of the Centre for Biocomposites and Biomaterials Processing in the Faculty of Forestry. She is also an Associate Director of the Pulp and Paper Centre at the University of Toronto.
Areas of study:
- Green chemicals and adhesives from forestry biomass conversion,
- Green bio-based composites and products from renewable forestry resources,
- Development of novel nanocellulose crystal based composite films,
- Development of light weight sandwich panels for construction and automotive applications,
- Paper-based inexpensive sensors and devices,
- High yield pulp utilization in digital printing papers.
- Bark Biorefinery project.
Please feel free to contact Prof. Yan if you are interested in joining her research group.
Green Chemicals and Adhesives from Forestry Biomass Conversion
With increasing global concern over depletion of non-renewable fossil fuel and rising price for petroleum and petroleum derived products, there is a strong interest worldwide in developing suitable technologies that can derive fuel and chemicals from renewable biomass resources, i.e. using forestry biomass as a feed stock for “bio-refinery”. Currently we are working on converting forest biomass waste residue, such as bark, as feed stock to produce bio-based green chemicals and novel adhesives for applications in building products. Meanwhile, work is also underway to develop bark based novel panel products.
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Green Bio-Based Composites and Products from Renewable Forestry Resources
Wood and other bio-fibers have the advantages of having relatively high stiffness, low density, moderate cost over other glass and inorganic fibers. More importantly, they are renewable and nearly carbon neutral. Bio-fiber composites can be used to replace conventional glass fiber reinforced composites in some building and automotives applications. However, there are a number of technical challenges related to this type of composites limiting their usage in more demanding higher end structural applications. Key issues include interface incompatibility, high moisture absorption, poor dimensional stability, and other processing related problems. Over the years, we have done a number of studies to understand the relationship between composite structure and performance and to enhance the interfacial adhesion. Currently we are working on using nano-clay to improve dimensional stability and thermal stability of the bio-fiber composites and investigating the effect of composite processing conditions on fiber characteristics. Work is also underway to combine biofibers with biopolymer to develop novel green biodegradable composites.
Development of Novel Nanocellulose Crystal Based Composite Films
Recently there is a strong interest in utilizing nanocellulosic crystal materials to develop novel films and composites. The nanocellulose crystal has a very high stiffness and good aspect ratio and some unique optical characteristics. In addition, they are derived from the renewable biomass. Our group is currently working on developing novel nanocellulosic fiber based composite films with unique functionalities.
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Development of Light Weight Sandwich Panels for Construction and Automotive Applications
The panel industry and secondary furniture industries that use panel products in Canada are currently facing an intensive competitive pressure from overseas. With proper engineering design and unique light weight structural features, wood fiber resources in these novel sandwich panels can be more effectively used and the performance of each component can be maximized. We are currently working on developing FEM models, which can help us identify optimum structural parameters of this type of sandwich panels for furniture and shelving applications and on developing novel prototype light weight panels for automotive applications.
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Paper-based Inexpensive Sensors and Devices
Bioactive papers are high value-added fiber-based products incorporating an advanced biological functionality capable of identifying, capturing and/or inactivating a specific target analyte. We are currently working on the efficacy of using inkjet technology for developing bioactive papers and to better understand the performance of paper as bioagent immobilization support.
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High Yield Pulp Utilization in Digital Printing Papers
High Yield Pulps (HYP) have environmental advantages over the traditional chemical pulps since they have a higher yield, use less harmful chemicals, and provide higher bulk to the resulting paper. The main challenges of incorporating HYP into digital printing papers are related to dimensional stability. In this project, we are investigating the effect of substitution of chemical pulp by HYP on dimensional stability of paper during the inkjet printing with a goal to increase the HYP usage in digital printing papers. Meanwhile, we are also investigating thermal properties of paper and coatings as function of formulation in relation to digital printing.
Graduate Students
Heyu Chen (Ph.D)
Production of value-added green chemical products from tree barks
Heyu Chen joined Professor Yan’s group in September 2014 as a Ph.D. student. He received his Bachelor and Master’s degree in Beijing Forestry University. Now his research focuses on the production of value-added green chemical products from tree barks. The use of natural renewable resources has attracted increasing worldwide attention as the environmental crisis and its associated socio-ecological burden are becoming a great concern. Bark, a nonfood-related biomass material available in large quantities, is a promising raw material. In addition to conducting the scientific works, Heyu likes playing badminton, go hiking, and reading in his spare time.
Jason D’Souza (Ph.D)
Synthesis and Characterization of Bark-based Polyurethane Foams
Jason is a Ph.D. student in Forestry, and his project focuses on developing and characterizing polyurethane foams made from the bark of trees. Before that, Jason completed masters at UofT in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, designing polymer nano-particles that encapsulated infra-red dyes for use in plastic solar cells. His bachelor degree was also at UofT, but in Material Science. In his spare time Jason likes playing guitar and drums, and reading.
Muhammad Ferhan (Ph.D.)
Investigation of Fungal Interaction with Bark/Lignin, Co-supervised with Professor Sain
Ferhan is a green polymer biotechnologist interested in making and altering the existing technology for the development of green chemicals. There is a need to set regulated targets to replace fossil-derived fuels and chemicals with woody biomass. Woody biomass is one of the lignocellulosic feedstocks for the energy sector and chemical industry. Due to its abundance, chemical composition, and fairly low costs, this assists to attain products through an economic and sustainable manner. It’s viable to produce organic chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass for chemical industry.
Mariam Khan (M.Sc.F)Organic-Inorganic Hybrid composites for construction applications
Mariam joined Prof. Yan’s research group in September 2014 as a Masters student with interests in novel composite systems as sustainable alternatives in the construction industry. Hybridizing organic and inorganic materials is a new approach being explored to achieve required material properties with less material cost. With background in Materials Engineering, Mariam will focus her research on studying the material properties and behaviours of mineral wool hybrid composites.
Pei-Yu Kuo (Ph.D)Development and Characterization of an Extractive-based Bio-Epoxy Resin from Beetle Infested Pinus contorta Bark, Co-supervised with Professor Sain
Research Description: Pei-Yu started her Ph.D. study in September 2010. Her research focuses on developing and charactering a novel bio-epoxy resin from tree bark. The polyphenols from bark can reduce the use of bisphenol A (BPA) which is hazardous to children due to its hormone-like structure. BPA has been banned in certain applications and has been considered a toxic material in Canada since 2008. Her research indicates that bark extractives have great potential to be used as the raw material to synthesize epoxy resins replacing toxic BPA. She is also looking at using cellulose nanofibers to improve the toughness of epoxy resins and particularly focus on the curing behavior.
Yongqiang Lan (Ph.D)Preparation of Cellulose Composite/PDMS Composite Membranes for Recovering Ethanol by Pervaporation
Yongqiang Lan joined Professor Yan’s group in September 2014 as a visiting student. He received Bachelor (2008) and Master (2013) degrees from Northeast Forestry University. His project focuses on the composite pervaporation membrane for recovering ethanol. Yongqiang’s interests include research, reading and basketball.
Taofeek Oseni (M.A.Sc)
High Yield Extraction/ Separation of Phenolic Compound from Lodgepole Pine, Co-supervised with Professor Farnood
Taofeek is currently a Master’s student at the department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry under the supervision of Professor Farnood and Professor Yan. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Lagos, Nigeria also in Chemical Engineering, and has over 3 years of experience in Project Planning/Execution, Offshore Construction, and Materials Management working with Exxonmobil Nigeria. He is working on the extraction and high-yield separation of phenolic compounds from lodgepole pine for various industrial applications. He enjoys soccer, lawn tennis, reading, and music.
Carlos Quijano-Solis (Ph.D)
Effect of Fiber Morphology and Mixing Conditions on Fiber Characteristics in Bio-fibre Composites Processing, Co-supervised with Tony Zhang, FPinnovaions
Nicolas Tanguy (Ph.D)
Paper-Based Sensors for Detecting Food Spoilage
Nicolas joined Professor Ning Yan’s group in January 2012 as a research assistant and first focused on the synthesis of bark-modified phenol-formaldehyde resins, which represent a cost effective and more sustainable alternative to conventional adhesives for wood products. Nicolas started his Ph.D in January 2014 and shifted his focus to the development of novel battery-free wireless sensors for the detection of biogenic amines, a marker for food spoilage. Nicolas’ hobbies include playing soccer and table tennis, enjoying music festival and going out with his friends.
Postdoctoral Fellows/Research Associates and Assistants
Dr. Prashant Chahuan
Nanocellulose derivatives for advanced applications
Prashant received his Bachelor (2008) and Master (2010) degrees in Organic Chemistry from University of Delhi, India. He completed his PhD degree (2013) from Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padua, Italy. In 2014, he joined Prof Yan’s group and his present research focuses on nanocellulose derivatives for advanced applications. Prashant’s hobbies include cooking, travelling, music and adventurous sports.
Dr. Sandeep Sudhakaran Nair
Bio-based advanced nanostructures
Nair completed his PhD in Advanced Materials Research from the University of Tennessee, USA in 2012. He worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow for two years at School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia. During this time, he also worked as a visiting scientist in USDA Forest Products Lab, Fiber and Chemical Sciences Research unit, Madison, Wisconsin. His current research focusses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of biomass derived polymers for high performance applications.
Dr. Nikhil Patil
Lignin-based Green Chemistry
Refereed journal publications (last five years, # is the cumulative total)
87. Xiang-Ming Wang, Haixia Fang, Martin Feng, Yaolin Zhang, Ning Yan, “Manufacturing Medium-Density Particleboards from Wood–Bark Mixture and Different Adhesive Systems”, Forest Products Journal, 65(1-2) 20-25, 2015.
86. Muhammad Ferhan, Ning Yan, Mohini Sain, “Bark depolymerization during submerged fermentation using monofloral honey, a natural mediator substitute, and integration between laccases vs. bark biopoly-mers, characterized by Py-GC-MS. RSC Adv. 5,14937–14952, 2015.
85. Tongfei Wu, Yicheng Du, Ning Yan, Ramin Farnood, “Cellulose fiber networks reinforced with glutaraldehyde–chitosan complexes”, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 132(33) 42375, 2015.
84. Yong Zhao, Ning Yan, and Martin Feng, “Synthesis and characterization of bio-based phenol-formaldehyde resol resins from bark autoclave extractives”, Forest Products Journal, In-press.
83. S.M. Mirabedini, I. Dutil, L. Gauquelin, N. Yan, R.R. Farnood, “Preparation of self-healing acrylic latex coatings using novel oil-filled ethyl cellulose microcapsules”. Progress in Organic Coatings, 85, 168-177, 2015.
82. Nicolas R. Tanguy, Lindsey K. Fiddes, Ning Yan, “Enhanced Radio Frequency Biosensor for Food Quality Detection Using Functionalized Carbon Nanofillers”, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 7(22) 11939-11947, 2015.
81. Jason D’Souza, Ben George, Rafael Camargo, Ning Yan, “Synthesis and characterization of bio-polyols through the oxypropylation of bark and alkaline extracts of bark”, Ind. Crops Prod. 76, 1–11, 2015.
80. Prashant Chauhan, Ning Yan, “Nanocrystalline cellulose grafted phthalocyanine: a heterogeneous catalyst for selective aerobic oxidation of alcohols and alkyl arenes at room temperature in a green solvent”, RSC Adv., 5, 37517-37520, 2015.
79. Sandeep Sudhakaran Nair, Ning Yan, “Bark derived submicron-sized and nano-sized cellulose fibers: From industrial waste to high performance materials”. Carbohydrate Polymers, 134, 258-266, 2015.
78. Sandeep Sudhakaran Nair, Ning Yan, “Effect of high residual lignin on the thermal stability of nanofibrils and its enhanced mechanical performance in aqueous environments”. Cellulose, 22(5) 3137-3150, 2015.
77. Sankar Govindarajan, Ning Yan “Synthesis and deblocking studies of low temperature heat-curable blocked polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanates”, Journal of Macromolecular Science Part A Pure Applied Chemistry, 52(1) 47-55, 2015.
76. Kate E. Semple, Solace Sam-Brew, James Deng, Francine Cote, Ning Yan, Zheng Chen , and Greg Smith, “Properties of commercial Kraft paper honeycomb furniture stock panels conditioned under 65% and 95% relative humidity”, Forests Products Journal, 65(3-4) 106-122, 2015
75. Hossein Salehizadeh, Ning Yan, “Recent advances in extracellular biopolymer flocculants”, Biotechnology Advances, 32(8), 1506-1522, 2014.
74. Yong Zhao, Ning Yan “Recent development in forest biomass derived phenol formaldehyde (PF) resol resin for wood adhesives application”, Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy, 8(5) 465-480, 2014.
73. Sankar Govindarajan, Ning Yan, “Bio-based Two Component (2K) Polyurethane Adhesive Derived from Infested Lodgepole Pine Barks”, Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy, 8, 457-464. 2014
72. Yubo Chai, Yong Zhao, Ning Yan, “Synthesis and characterization of bio-based melamine formaldehyde resin from bark extractives”, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 53(28) 11228-11238, 2014.
71. Lindsey K. Fiddes, Ning Yan, “Electrochemical Detection of Biogenic Amines During Food Spoilage Using an Integrated Sensing RFID Tag”, Sensors and Actuators, B: Chemical, 202, 1298-1304, 2014.
70. Carlos Quijano-Solis, Ning Yan, “Characterization of biofiber breakage in composite processing using a capillary rheometer”, Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, 33(16) 1463-1473, 2014.
69. Pei Yu Kuo, Mohini Sain, Ning Yan, “Synthesis and Characterization of an Extractive-based Bio-epoxy Resin from Beetle Infested Pinus Contorta Bark” Green Chemistry, 16(7) 3484-3493, 2014.
68. Jason D’Souza, Rafael Camargo, Ning Yan, “Polyurethane foams made from liquefied bark-based polyols”, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, DOI: 10.1002/app.40599, 2014.
67. Yicheng Du, Ning Yan, Mark Kortschot, “A simplified fabrication process for biofiber-reinforced polymer composites for automotive interior trim applications”, Journal of Materials Science, 49(6), 2630-2639, 2014.
66. Yicheng Du, Ning Yan, Mark Kortschot, “Novel lightweight sandwich-structured bio-fiber-reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites”, Journal of Materials Science, 49(5), 2018-2026, 2014.
65. Zheng Chen, Ning Yan, Solace Sam-Brew, Greg Smith, James Deng, “Investigation of mechanical properties of sandwich panels made of paper honeycomb core and wood composite skins by experimental testing and finite element (FE) modelling methods”, European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, DOI: 10.1007/s00107-014-0782-z, 2014.
64. Mohammad Ferhan, Nicolas Tanguy, Ning Yan and Mohini Sain, “Comparison of enzymatic, alkaline and UV/H2O2 treatments for extraction of beetle infested lodgepole pine (BILP) and aspen bark polyphenolic extractives”, ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, 2(2), 165-172, 2014.
63. Zeen Huang, “Characterization of Major Components in Bark from Five Common Canadian Species”, Wood and Fiber Science, 46(2), 167-174, 2014.
62. Yicheng Du, Tongfei Wu, Ning Yan, Mark Kortschot, Ramin Farnood, “Fabrication and Characterization of Fully Biodegradable Natural Fiber-reinforced Poly(lactic acid) Composites”, Composite Part B: Engineering, 56(2014), 717-723, 2014.
61. Pei-Yu Kuo, Ning Yan, Mohini Sain, “Influence of cellulose nanofibers on the curing behavior of epoxy/amine systems”, European Polymer Journal, 49(12), 3778-3787, 2013.
60. Yong Zhao, Boya Zhang, Ning Yan, Ramin Farnood, “Synthesis and Characterization of Phenol Formaldehyde Novolac Resin Derived from Liquefied Mountain Pine Beetle Infested Lodgepole Pine Barks”, Macromolecular Reaction Engineering, 7(11), 646-660, 2013. Highlighted in journal cover page.
59. Lindsey K. Fiddes, Ning Yan, “RFID Tags for Wireless Electrochemical Detection of Volatile Chemicals”, Sensors and Actuators, B: Chemical, 186(2013), 817-823, 2013.
58. Yicheng Du, Ning Yan, Mark Kortschot, “An Experimental Study of Creep Behavior of Lightweight Natural Fiber-reinforced Polymer Composite Skin Honeycomb Core Sandwich Panels”, Composite Structures,106, 160-166, 2013.
57. Muhammad Ferhan, Ning Yan, Mohini Sain, “A New Method for Demethylation of Lignin from Woody Biomass by using Biophysical Methods”, Journal of Chemical Engineering and Process Technology, 4 (5), 160-166, 2013.
56. Yong Zhao, Ning Yan, Martin Feng, “Phenol Liquefaction of the Beetle Infested Pine Bark and the Liquefied Products Characterization”, Current Organic Chemistry, 17(15), 1604-1616, 2013.
55. Jason D’Souza, Ning Yan, “Producing Bark-based Polyols through Liquefaction: Effect of Liquefaction Temperature”, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 1(5), 534-540, DOI: 10.1021/sc400013e, 2013. Highlighted in journal cover page.
54. Jieming Chen, Ning Yan, “Crystallization Behavior of Organo-nanoclay Treated and Untreated Kraft Fiber-HDPE Composites”, Composites Part B: Engineering, 54, 180-187, 2013.
53. Yong Zhao, Ning Yan, Martin Feng, “Bio-based Phenol Formaldehyde (PF) Resins Derived from Beetle Infested Pine Barks – Structure and Composition”, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 1(1), 91-101, 2013. Highlighted in journal cover page.
52. Yong Zhao, Ning Yan, Martin Feng, “Thermal Degradation Characteristics of Phenol-formaldehyde Resins Derived from Beetle Infested Pine Barks”, Thermochimica Acta, 555, 46-52, 2013.
51. Jieming Chen, Ning Yan, “Mechanical Properties and Dimensional Stability of Organo-nanoclay Modified Biofiber Polymer Composites”, Composites Part B: Engineering, 47, 248-254, 2013.
50. Yicheng Du, Tongfei Wu, Ning Yan, Mark Kortschot, Ramin Farnood, “Pulp Fiber-reinforced Thermoset Polymer Composites: Effects of the Pulp Fibers and Polymer”, Composites Part B: Engineering, 48, 10-17, 2013.
49. Yong Zhao, Ning Yan, Martin Feng, “Bark Extractives-based Phenol-Formaldehyde Resins from Beetle-infested Lodgepole Pine”, Journal of Adhesion Science and Technology, 27(18-19), 2112-2126, 2013.
48. Muhammad Ferhan, Alcides Leao, Itamar S de Melo, Ning Yan, Mohini Sain, “Ligninases Production and Partial Purification of MnP from Brazilian Fungal Isolate in Submerged Fermentation”, Fermentation Biotechnology, 1:106, DOI:10.4172/2167-7972.1000106, 2012.
47. Siying Chen, Ramin Farnood, Ning Yan, Sabina Di Risio, Jay Song, “Paper and Printer Effects on Xerographic Print Quality”, Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal, 27(4), 729-738, 2012.
46. Zheng Chen, Ning Yan, Greg Smith, James Deng, “Investigation of Flexural Creep of Kraft Paper Honeycomb Core Sandwich Panels Using the Finite Element Method (FEM)”, Wood and Fiber Science, 44(4), 1-10, 2012.
45. Yicheng Du, Ning Yan, Mark Kortschot, “Light-weight Honeycomb Core Sandwich Panels Containing Biofiber-reinforced Thermoset Polymer Composite Skins: Fabrication and Evaluation”, Composites Part B. Engineering, 43(7), 2875-2882, 2012.
44. Zheng Chen, Ning Yan, “Investigation of Elastic Moduli of Kraft Paper Honeycomb Core Sandwich Panels”, Composites Part B: Engineering, 43(5), 2107-2114, 2012.
43. Jieming Chen, Ning Yan, “Hydrophobization of Bleached Softwood Kraft Fibers via Adsorption of Organo-nanoclay,” BioResources, 7(3), 4132-4149, 2012.
42. Chong Liang, Ning Yan, Xuejun Zou, David Vidal, “Effects of Coating Formulations on Thermal Properties of Coating Layers”, Nordic Pulp and Paper Journal, 27(2), 451-458, 2012.
41. Yong Zhao, Ning Yan, Martin Feng, “Polyurethane Foams Derived from Liquefied Mountain Pine Beetle-Infested Barks”, Journal of Applied Polymer Sciences, 123(5), 2849-2858, 2012.
39. Gireesh Gupta, Ning Yan, Martin Feng, “Effects of Pressing Temperature and Particle Size on Bark Board Properties made from Beetle-Infested Lodgepole Pine Barks”, Forest Products Journal, 61(6), 478-488, 2011.
38. Zheng Chen, Ning Yan, James Deng, Greg Smith, “Creep of Sandwich Panels Containing Kraft Paper Honeycomb Core and Wood Composite Skins”, Materials Sciences and Engineering A, 528(16-17), 5621-5626, 2011.
Conferences (last five years, # is the cumulative total)
60. Chaoyang Feng, Yaldal Azimi, Azad Kavoosi, Ning Yan and Ramin Farnood, “Surface Modified Cellulosic Membrane and Its Application in Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) System”, Wastewater and Biosolids Treatment and Reuse: Bridging Modeling and Experimental Studies, Engineering Conferences International (ECI) Symposium Series, June 8-13, Otranto (Lecce), Italy, 2014.
59. Pei-Yu Kuo, Nils Cuinat-Guerraz, Mohini Sain, Ning Yan, Pascal Hubert, Marie-Josée Dumont, “Development of Bio-composites from Flax and Bio-Epoxy Monomers”, Network for Innovative Plastic Material and Manufacturing Processes (NIPMMP), Poster, June 17-18, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2014.
58. Mohammad Ferhan, “Kinetic parameter studies during SF of laccase enzyme from white-rot fungi Pleurotus species and bio-depolymerization of bark to characterize aromatic compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)”, Poster, 13th International Symposium on Bioplastics, Biocomposites & Biorefining (ISBBB), May 19-24, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 2014.
57. Sankar Govindarajan, “Novel Polyurethane Adhesives from Beetle Infested Lodge-pole Pine Barks: Synthesis, Characterization, and Properties”, Poster, International Conference on Wood Adhesives, October 9-11, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2013.
56. Yong Zhao, “Effect of Synthesis Conditions on the Properties of Bark Extractive-phenol-formaldehyde Resins”, International Conference on Wood Adhesives, October 9-11, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2013.
55. Yong Zhao, “Characterization of Phenol Formaldehyde Novolac Resins from Liquefied Lodgepole Pine Barks”, International Conference on Wood Adhesives, October 9-11, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2013.
54. Pei-Yu Kuo, Mohini Sain, Ning Yan, “Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Bio-based Epoxy Resin from Bark Extractive”, BIOPOL2013 Conference, October 1-3, Rome, Italy, 2013.
53. Steven Phillips, Pei-Yu Kuo, Cristian Demaria, Larry Lessarda, Ning Yan, Pascal Hubert, Mohini Sain, “Development of Multi-Scale Biocomposites from Flax, Nanocellulose and Epoxy by Resin Infusion”, NIPMMP Conference, June 11-12, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2013.
52. Yong Zhao, Boya Zhang, Ning Yan, Ramin Farnood, “Characterization of Phenol Formaldehyde Novolac Resins from Liquefied Lodgepole Pine Barks”, 96th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, May 26-30, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, 2013.
51. Muhammad Ferhan, Ning Yan, Mohini Sain, “Enzymatic Delignification and Demethylation for the Synthesis of Bio-based Polyurethane Foam (PUF)”, RSC-ACS Sustainable Polymers Conference, May 20-23, Safety Harbor, Florida, USA, 2013.
50. Jason D’Souza, Ning Yan, “Bark-Based Polyurethane Foams through Solvent Liquefaction”, 2012 AIChE Annual Meeting, October 28-November 2, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, 2012.
49. Yong Zhao, Ning Yan, Martin Feng, “Thermal Degradation of Phenol-formaldehyde Resins Derived from Lodgepole Pine Bark”, Forest Products Society 66th International Convention, June 3-5, Washington D.C., USA, 2012.
48. Yicheng Du, Tongfei Wu, Ning Yan, Mark Kortschot, Ramin Farnood, “Pulp Fiber-reinforced Thermoset Polymer Composites”, 12th International Conference on Biocomposites, May 6-8, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, 2012.
47. Muhammad Ferhan, Ning Yan, Mohini Sain, “Physicochemical Characterization of Lignin based Polyols”, 12th International Conference on Biocomposites, May 6-8, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, 2012.
46. Steven Phillips, PeiYu Kuo, Larry Lessard, Pascal Hubert, Mohini Sain, Ning Yan, “Characterization of Flax Fabrics and Nanocellulose Modified Epoxy for the Development of Multi-scale Biocomposites by Resin Infusion”, 12th International Conference on Biocomposites, May 6-8, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, 2012.
45. Mandana Fazl, Jieming Chen, Ning Yan, “Development and Characterization of Natural Fibre-reinforced Polylactic Acid Composites”, 12th International Conference on Biocomposites, May 6-8, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, 2012.
44. Yicheng Du, Ning Yan, Mark Kortschot, “Pulp Fibre-reinforced Thermoset Polymer Composites and Their Sandwich Panels”, Innovative Green Fibre Products Network 2nd Annual Meeting, August 30-September 1, Mont Gabriel, Quebec, Canada, 2011.
43. Yong Zhao, Ning Yan, Martin Feng, “Polyurethane Foams Derived from Liquefied Mountain Pine Beetle Infested Barks”, Forest Products Society 65th International Convention, June 19-21, Portland, Oregon, USA, 2011.
42. Jieming Chen, Ning Yan, “Enhance Mechanical Performance and Dimensional Stability of Wood Fiber HDPE Composites by Using Organo-Nanoclay”, Forest Products Society 65th International Convention, June 19-21, Portland, Oregon, USA, 2011.
41. Yong Zhao, Ning Yan, Martin Feng, “Tannin-Phenol-Formaldehyde Resin from Mountain Pine Beetle Infested Lodgepole Pine Barks”, Forest Products Society 65th International Convention, June 19-21, Portland, Oregon, USA, 2011.
40. Yicheng Du, Ning Yan, “HYP Aspen Fiber-unsaturated Polyester Composites for Honeycomb Core Sandwich Panel Skins”, Innovative Green Fibre Products Network 1st Annual Meeting, February 3-4, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2011.
Recent awards
2014 Endowed Value Added Wood and Composite Chair, Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto
2012 NSERC-Discovery Accelerator Supplementary Award (DAS), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canada
2011 Connaught Innovation Award, Inauguration Round, Connaught Foundation, University of Toronto
2007 Early Researcher Award, Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation
