William Tai Yin Tze

William Tai Yin Tze
Associate Professor
Director of the Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering undergraduate program
[email protected]
203 Kaufert Laboratory

2004 Folwell Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
United States

Tze’s Laboratory Webpage
Education
  • Ph.D. - University of Maine. 2003.
  • M. S. - Michigan Technological University. 1998.
  • B. Forestry Sc. - Universiti Putra Malaysia. 1992.

Areas of Interest

Nanocellulose/nanocomposites, materials and adhesives from biomass solid wastes

Teaching

  • BBE4403/5403: Bio-based Products Engineering Lab I
  • BBE4404/5404: Biopolymers and Biocomposites Engineering
  • ESPM3605/5605: Recycling: Extending Raw Materials

Research

Materials-related research on biomass and its utilization via nanotechnology and simplified treatments: One endeavor is converting, without pre-purification, the lignin-rich residues of cellulosic biofuels production into a fully biobased, heat-curable wood adhesive. Another venture is chemically modifying and mechanically fibrillating wood biomass to obtain micron- and nano-sized fibers for use as functional or/and reinforcing materials. Throughout these research efforts, the structure-performance relationship of the products is examined pertaining to their processing parameters and service conditions.

Select Publications

  • Hafez, I., H.-S. Yang, F. J. Liew, J. S. Schilling, and W. T. Y. Tze. 2024. Fully biobased thermosetting adhesive from enzymatic saccharification residue. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 12(34): 12726-12735.  DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c07759.
  • Benaducci, D., V. de Oliveira, W. T. Y. Tze, I. Hafez, M. C. Branciforti. 2024. Nanocomposites of recycled and of virgin polyamide 6,6 with cellulose nanofibers. Hybrid Advances 6: 100261.  DOI: 10.1016/j.hybadv.2024.100261.
  • Yang, H.-S., F. J. Liew, J. Kaffenberger, N. C. A. Seaton, O. Kwon, J. S. Schilling, and W. T. Y. Tze. 2021. Binderless films from lignin-rich residues of enzymatic saccharification. Biomass and Bioenergy 153: 106214. DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2021.106214.
  • Chen, H.-C., W. T. Y. Tze, and F.-C. Chang. 2020. Effects of nanocellulose formulations on physicomechanical properties of Aquazol-nanocellulose composites. Cellulose 27:5757-5769. DOI:10.1007/s10570-020-03190-x
  • Dai, G., W. T. Y. Tze, B. Frigo-Vaz, N. C. Mancipe, H.-S. Yang, M. C. Branciforti, and P. Wang. 2020. Nanofibrillated cellulose-enzyme assemblies for enhanced biotransformations with in situ cofactor regeneration. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology 191:1369-1383. DOI:10.1007/s12010-020-03263-4
  • Branciforti, M. C., H.-S. Yang, I. Hafez, N. C. A. Seaton, and W. T. Y. Tze. 2019. Morphological and rheological behaviors of micro-nanofibrillated NaOH-pretreated aspen wood. Cellulose 26:4601-4614. DOI: 10.1007/s10570-019-02389-x
  • Hafez, I., H.-S. Yang, and W. T. Y. Tze. 2017. Mechanically enhanced electrically conductive films from polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene with wood microfibers. Journal of Applied Polymer Science 134(35): 45127. DOI: 10.1002/app.45127
  • Yang, H.-S., S. M. Duncan, I. Hafez, J. S. Schilling, and W. T. Y. Tze. 2016. Hydroxyl availability in aspen wood after dilute acid pretreatment and enzymatic saccharification. BioResources 11(3): 7490-7499. DOI: 10.15376/biores.11.3.7490-7499

Honors and Awards

  • Distinguished Teaching Award for Undergraduate Faculty, College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences, 2018.
  • Richard C. Newman Art of Teaching Award, University of Minnesota, 2008.
  • L. J. Markwardt Wood Engineering Award, Forest Products Society, 2008.

Other Professional Experience:

  • Visiting Associate Professor (Oct. 2018 –Jun. 2019) School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
  • Visiting Researcher (Feb. 2012 –Jul. 2012) Biomass Refinery Research Center (now Research Institute for Sustainable Chemistry), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Hiroshima, Japan.
  • Visiting Researcher (Sep. 2011 – Jan. 2012) Laboratory of Adhesion and Bio-Composites, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
  • Post-Doctoral Research Associate (Feb. 2004 – Jul. 2005) Tennessee Forest Products Center (now Center of Renewable Carbon), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.