May/June 2022 - 14

TECHNOLOGY
Aviskek Chanda, left, lays raw hazelnut
shells inside a metal mold. Vyas
Prabhakar, right, holds a finished panel.
Photos: Washington State University
The art of
the upscale
Nut shell waste is
becoming decorative
BY CRYSTAL NAY
MANAGING EDITOR
14 MAY/JUNE 2022
T
he world of reusing tree nut waste is cracking wide
open, and as almond hulls find their way into cattle
feed and pecan shells into landscaping, hazelnut
shells are being used to create decorative panels.
Using hazelnut shell waste and commercially available
resin, Washington State University (WSU) is developing a
panel that could be used in a variety of applications, from
coffee tables to conference room walls to kitchen cabinets.
Vikram Yadama, professor in the Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering and a faculty affiliate with the
Composite Materials Engineering Center, is spearheading the
project with Avishek Chanda, a postdoctoral researcher, and
Vyasgowtham Prabhakar, a graduate student.
Skipping the traditional hot-pressing method for creating
boards, the technique used with the shells involves infusing
a mat of ground shells with resin. The voids within the
particles are filled, creating not only a more structurally
sound panel, but a more aesthetically pleasing one.
" Our goal is to maximize the amount of particles and reduce
the amount of resin that is used, " said Yadama. " Resin is
definitely the most expensive component of these materials,
and what is currently being made uses a lot of resin. "

May/June 2022

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