Who knew manure had so many uses? From energy production to bedding for stalls, there seems to be no limit for the usefulness of byproducts from dairy cow manure. Researchers at Michigan State University are developing yet another use for manure – construction material. Laurent Matuana, associate professor, and M. Charles Gould, extension educator of nutrient management, are working to develop medium density fiberboards (MDF) and wood-plastic composites (WPCs) made from the dried manure fibers from anaerobic digesters.

History of the project
Gould, originally from a dairy farm in eastern Wyoming, works with western Michigan livestock and dairy producers to improve their manure management plans. He first became interested in making composite materials from agricultural byproducts after reading about research conducted at Iowa State University. In 2004, he visited ISU’s laboratory to witness the project firsthand. Gould says ISU’s work provided the foundation for his own work. In 2005, he contacted Matuana, who had conducted a great deal of research about wood-based composites and wood adhesives. The pair applied for grants in 2006, and with the assistance of graduate students in Matuana’s academic department, they spent the next two years completing the project.

Because Michigan did not have anaerobic digesters when Gould and Matuana began their research, Gould contacted three Wisconsin producers in order to obtain manure material. These producers were Gary Boyke of Vir-Clar Farms in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; Dave Stencil of Stencil Farm in Denmark, Wisconsin; and Kyle Gordon of Gordondale Farms in Nelsonville, Wisconsin. Having all the digester fiber they needed, Gould and Matuana began their project.

“The manure fibers from the farms’ digesters still had a lot of water,” Matuana says. “We developed the approach to drying that fiber.”

After the fibers are dried, they are blended with a 15 percent liquid UF resin and then are pressed and formed into panels. For comparison purposes, wood flour – pine and maple – are processed in this same way. The results show that the manure fiber panels are similar to the wood flour panels in terms of strength, stiffness and internal strength.

What’s next?
“We’ve met the engineering standards, but there are some questions we haven’t answered yet,” Gould says. “We need to figure out how well paint adheres to medium density fiberboards, and we need to test the ability to put nails or screws in it and through it.”

Gould says in order to answer those questions, they need to produce bigger sections of the material, such as sheets instead of panels.

“We don’t think we’re going to find anything adverse, but we don’t know that yet from a science standpoint,” Gould says.

In order to develop the project, Gould and Matuana plan to apply for more grants, and they are optimistic about being able to “tap into the first round of dollars” from the recent Farm Bill.

“We feel we’ve got something here that could be expanded out to a larger scale than what we’ve done,” Gould says. “I would hope that by this time next year, we could say we have a product that is being used.”

When the funds come through and the project continues, Gould plans to get manure fiber from Scenic-View Dairy, a 2,000-cow operation in Fennville, Michigan, with three anaerobic digesters. Scenic-View is also working on a project to develop a biodegradable shoe for hoof problems in dairy cows.

For Gould and Matuana, one of the most exciting parts of the research is being able to help dairy producers.

“We want to help farmers be sustainable, and we want to put money back into the farmers’ pockets,” Gould says. By covering the economic and environmental aspects of the project, Gould says, “Everybody wins.”

Abstract thinking
The researchers have already realized a market exists for their potential product. As their developing research project became national news, Gould and Matuana began receiving inquiries about their product.

“There was a lady from Ohio that said she was a farmer’s daughter and was building a deck on her house,” says Gould. “She wanted to know how she could get ahold of the material.”

Gould and Matuana are hopeful that this project will eventually lead to consumers’ renewed appreciation for the agriculture industry.

Because parts of their furniture or home will be made from these manure fibers, Gould believes that people removed from production agriculture will be able to “reconnect with the farm in an abstract way.”

Matuana agrees and feels public sentiment about the project is very positive.

“You have a number of farms in the U.S., which means lots of manure,” he says. “But it still has value; you can use the gas for electricity, the liquid for fertilizer and the solids for building material. Society really values that, and people are exited about it.” ANM

For more information, contact Charles Gould at gouldm@msu.edu or (616)-846-8250, or Laurent Matuana at matuana@msu.edu or (517)-353-4616.

YOUR RESULTS
Are you ready to create construction material? The following checklist can be used to determine if this new technology might be a fit for your operation:

1. Are manure issues limiting your growth potential?
2. Are you separating solids from your effluent?
3. Are you challenged with the area you have to spread manure?
4. Are you looking for ways to reduce the amount of manure you have to spread on the surrounding farming area?
5. Are you looking for ways to create additional revenue streams for your current operation?
6. Does your community have a negative attitude toward your operation or nutrient management plan?
7. Do you want to reduce your carbon footprint?
8. Do you produce in an area looking for more sustainable farms?

If you answered yes to five or more of these questions, this technology is one for you to consider.