Dr. Karl Englund

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Mulch Feedstock Preparation and Initial Properties 

Dr. Karl Englund, Associate Research Professor, Washington State University

The recycling of synthetic plastic mulches from our agricultural sector is primarily limited due to the amount of soil and plant debris contamination that is inherently part of the plasticulture system.  Removal and reduction of these debris are crucial to their ultimate recycling success.  In this discussion we will evaluate the soil or non-plastic levels of our mulches removed from various regions within our project.  The process of turning the lose films into a user-friendly pellet will be described and will be assessed for contaminate level reduction.  The influence the contaminates have on the final rheological and mechanical properties will also be discussed.

Karl Englund currently works at Washington State University’s Composite Materials and Engineering Center. He graduated with a BS in 1988 and MS degree in 1991 in Wood science at West Virginia University. Prior to completing his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Washington State University in 2001, Karl was a technical director for Trus Joist MacMillan (now Weyerhaeuser). He started as a faculty for Washington State University’s Composite Materials and Engineering Center in 2008 and is now an Associate Research Professor. His research focuses on processing composites and utilizing waste materials as feedstocks for composites and bioenergy. Much of his work at the Center finds him collaborating with government agencies, non-profits, and industry.