NC State University 
Department of Forest Biomaterials faculty member, Dr. Med Byrd and Undergraduate Recruiter, Katie McIntyre recently spent two days bringing paper properties to life for Broughton High School chemistry students. Dr. Byrd gave a lively lecture about the chemical properties of paper, highlighting many of the concepts that they will focus on in their chemistry class in the coming weeks.
After learning the basic principles behind hydrogen bonds and flotation de-inking, students had the opportunity to recycle their own paper. Groups were challenged to recycle two sheets, improving upon their first procedure with the second sheet. Students with the cleanest, most uniform sheet, and highest yield in their recycled sheets were awarded with Wolfpack gear!
The Paper Science & Engineering faculty at NC State actively engage in outreach in our community. Lab and lecture instructions for papermaking, flotation de-inking, and other areas of interest are available for teachers and community leaders.
If you would like to schedule a visit to the NC State Department of Forest Biomaterials or inquire about a visit to your classroom, please contact Katie McIntyre at katie_mcintyre@ncsu.edu.