CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS (CNCS) DERIVED FROM BIOMASS HAVE RECEIVED MUCH ATTENTION AS RENEWABLE, BIODEGRADABLE, NONTOXIC, LOW COST NANO MATERIALS WITH SOME REMARKABLE PROPERTIES. CNCS HAVE LARGE SURFACE TO VOLUME RATIO, HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH (~10 GPA), HIGH STIFFNESS (~150 GPA), AND HIGH FLEXIBILITY. THE INHERENT PROPERTIES SUCH AS HIGH CRYSTALLINITY, ASPECT RATIO AND SUPERIOR REINFORCEMENT ARE IMPORTANT FOR STRESS TRANSFER AND LOAD BEARING. THEY ARE WIDELY REPORTED TO IMPROVE THE STRENGTH AND STIFFNESS PROPERTIES OF BIOBASED AND SYNTHETIC POLYMERS. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE THE PROPERTIES OF LOW QUALITY SOFTWOOD BY IMPREGNATING CNC INTO THEIR POROUS HOLLOW CELLULAR STRUCTURE. THIS TECHNOLOGY IS EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN WOOD AND REDUCE VARIABILITY FOUND IN STRUCTURAL LUMBER. THIS GOAL WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THREE PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:1. IDENTIFY AN EFFECTIVE AND OPTIMIZED PROCESS OF IMPREGNATING CNC INTO WOOD AND DETERMINE CRITICAL VARIABLES INFLUENCING THE IMPREGNATION PROCESS.2. INVESTIGATE AND QUANTIFY MICROSTRUCTURAL, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND COMPOSITIONAL CHANGES IN CNC IMPREGNATED WOOD.3. EVALUATE THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MECHANICAL AND DURABILITY PROPERTIES OF THE PROCESSED WOOD.WE POSTULATE THAT UNDER ULTRASONICATION, AND HIGH VACUUM-PRESSURE TREATMENTS, CNC WILL BE ABLE TO PENETRATE INSIDE THE LIGNIN AND EXTRACTIVE FREE WOOD, AND WILL FORM STRONG CHEMICAL BOND WITH THE CELLULOSE CHAINS PRESENT IN WOOD STRUCTURE. THIS LINKAGE WILL ALSO CAUSE REINFORCEMENT AND STRENGTHENING OF WOOD MATRIX. COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE PROPOSED NOVEL TECHNOLOGY WILL HELP IN VALUE ADDITION AND EXPANDED USAGE OF WOOD, HELP FOREST FARMERS TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE, EXPAND UTILIZATION OF CNC IN HIGH VOLUME INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS, AND CREATE A NEW STREAM OF JOBS IN RURAL AREAS AMERICA.?