Dear Colleagues, The USDA Forest Products Laboratory and Forest Products Society announce a Call for Papers for the International Conference on Wood & Biofiber Plastic Composites and Nanotechnology in Wood Composites Symposium to be held on May 16-18, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Abstracts for formal presentations and poster presentations are due by October 29. Manuscripts, extended abstracts, or PowerPoints based on the presentation will be due a few weeks prior to the conference and symposium and will be made available at the conference and symposium. Wood and other natural fibers have been used in composites for many years. However, interest in their use as fillers and reinforcements in plastics waned with the development of synthetic fibers such as glass and carbon fibers. Recently there has been a resurgence of interest with one of the largest recent examples being the birth of the wood-plastic composites industry. This involved the interfacing of industries that have historically known little about each other and had very different knowledge, expertise, and perspectives. Today, this interaction continues and these composites continue to evolve. A new generation of composites is emerging as material behavior is better understood, processes and performance are improved, and new opportunities are identified. Recent trends such as the desire to increase biocontent, growing production in different parts of the world, and, of course, the economy will play a major role in the future of these composites. Additionally, the advent of emerging technologies related to biopolymers, biorefineries, and nanotechnology are generating interest in new combinations of polymers and materials derived from wood or other natural fibers, some of which may be very different from those currently produced. This conference and symposium seek to bring together industry, government, and academia to share perspectives on what the future holds. We are inviting formal or poster presentations on the following topics: - Additives and formulating - Advanced reinforcements - Biopolymer matrices - Enhanced performance - Future applications - Nanotechnology in wood composites - New processing/recycling We look forward to meeting you in Madison, Wisconsin. Best regards, Craig Clemons Conference Co-Chair Nicole Stark Conference Co-Chair Zhiyong Cai Symposium Chair --------------------------------------- circulated on behalf of the conference organizers by Brigitte Burger, IUFRO Headquarters