Forestry Files

Wood Based Products

INTRODUCTION

Wood-based fibre products are made from wood that has been broken down into its component fibres and then reformed into products. These products retain some of their wood characteristics, but gain new properties from the re-manufacturing process. This product line includes

  1. baled fibre,
  2. hydroseeding mulch,
  3. textile/wood fibre composite mats,
  4. fibre boards and
  5. wood-fibre non-wood composites.

(Pulp and paper products are also an important part of this product line but will be discussed in a separate article.)

Each of the five categories of product listed above will be discussed in this article in terms of the product itself and how it can be used or how it can serve as the basis for manufacturing other products. The basic unit for all of these products is the wood fibre.

Fibre refers to the wood cell, millions of which compose the trunk of a tree. The cell walls of wood fibres are composed of a chemical called cellulose. It is the cellulose portion of the wood cell which can be processed into the many useful products listed above. At Canfor, the majority of the wood fibre for these products comes from sawmill by-products and re-cycled wood. In the past much of this resource might have ended up in a landfill. The manufacturing of these products turns urban and industrial waste wood into value-added goods.

1. BALED FIBRE

Clean, refined fibre is the basis for all wood-based fibre products. In the production of baled fibre, the wood chips are refined into wood fibre and the dried wood fibre is formed into bales for transport. Baled fibre is produced according to customer’s specifications. Wax, dye or resin may be added depending on the final use. Different manufacturing processes require various fibre characteristics such as fibre length, strength, strength-to-weight properties, and the fibre’s ability to integrate with other raw materials. The refining process itself can be controlled to produce these specific fibre lengths.

Uses

Baled fibre products are used in the making of textile/wood fibre composite mats, hardboard, cementboard, doorskins and automotive interior trim. Canfor is the only company that produces baled fibre; however, there are substitute fibres such as hemp, jute and flax.

2. HYDROSEEDING MULCH

Hydroseeding mulch is a specialty product that uses baled fibre. This product is used in helping to establish vegetation. Hydroseeding is a fast, efficient and economical method of planting grass over large areas of land.

The manufacturing process begins by mixing water, seed and the wood fibre mulch into a tank and spraying this solution onto the soil. When applied, the long wood fibres interlock and cling to each other, forming a continuous blanket on top of the soil. This wood fibre blanket insulates and protects the seed from cold temperatures, wind and water erosion. The fibres eventually decompose and become part of the soil.

Bonded fibre matrix products are more complex versions of the hydroseeding mulch. A bonded fibre matrix is a combination of wood fibre and polymer compounds which form a high strength erosion resistant mat that is designed to stay in place on steep slopes. This product is sprayed on with a hydroseeder and dries to form a continuous protective shield that bonds to the soil surface. Its interlocking fibres create a strong and durable cover that is porous, breathable and secures soil and seed while enhancing the establishment of vegetation. Once dry, the matrix retains its form in spite of rainfall. Over time, the product decomposes.

Uses

The product is used to establish vegetation on highway projects, golf courses, playing fields and residential lawns.

3. TEXTILE/WOOD FIBRE COMPOSITE

Canfor’s Woodmat is an example of a non-woven textile/wood fibre composite. The material is composed of wood fibre, resin and a small amount of synthetic fibre. The manufacturing process creates a mat that can be then be molded into creative shapes, such as a car door panel. The result is a light but strong component.

Uses

Manufacturers might consider using a textile/wood fibre composite mat for products that require the characteristics of wood, but have a shape that cannot be made with a standard wood product. Manufacturers can use the mats in their molding process. Heat and pressure will set the lignin and resins in the mat, resulting in a hard, lightweight shape.

Typical products made using textile/wood fibre composite are molded door skins, automotive interior trim and architectural moldings. The mat itself (before any molding process) has also been used in silviculture and gardening products to hold seeds in place, prevent weeds and add slow release fertilizer to seedlings.

4. FIBRE BOARDS

The main difference between the three types of fibre boards (insulation board, MDF and hardboard) is the density of the material. All the panels are non-structural in nature and have similar manufacturing processes.

Insulation Board

Insulation boards are low density panels. This product has a long history, appearing on the market as early as 1916.

Uses

This low price product has good insulation and sound proofing qualities. Insulation board is used in acoustic ceiling tiles, backers for aluminium siding, sound deadening, carpet underlay and wall sheathing.

MDF- Medium Density Fibreboard

This non-structural panel is a combination of wood and adhesives bound together by heat and pressure. Agricultural products, such as the cereal grain bagasse, can be substituted for wood in the process. Being fairly young product, this sector is technology-based. Most of the facilities are quite new and have advanced processing and environmental technologies.

Unlike other panel products such as particleboard, MDF has smooth solid edges can be easily machined and finished. The uniform surface of MDF is very good for painting or decorative overlays. The process can also produce very thick boards which makes it a competitor for non-structural solid wood products like window and door frames.

Uses

MDF is used in shelves, TV cabinets, drawer fronts, pool tables, office furniture, door frames window frames, kitchen cabinets and for interior door skins.

Hardboard ( high density fibreboard)

This product was discovered accidentally when a steam valve failed in a laboratory, causing high, prolonged pressure on a fibre mat, which produced a hard dense panel. Hardboard is often called Masonite, named after the scientist William Mason who was running the experiment and was out having lunch when the incident occurred.

Uses

Hardboard is used as decorative wall panelling, for interior door faces and in furniture for backings, drawer bottoms, sliding doors and tabletops. It is also used for peg boards and can even be covered with vinyl and used as exterior siding. Hardboard can also be molded into shapes for car doors, dashboards and roof panels.

5. WOOD-FIBRE / NON-WOOD COMPOSITES

Several products using wood fibre and non-wood components have been developed. The three research goals were production cost reduction, recyclability and new superior products. These products have an interesting mixture of characteristics.

Inorganic-bonded composites: gypsum and Portland cement
Strength and flexibility are the characteristics brought by the wood fibre while the cement brings high fire and termite resistance. These products are used in siding, shingles and shakes.
Wood fibre-thermoplastic composites
Wood flour is used as a filler with thermoplastics. The resulting mixture can be used in injection molding or compression molding processes. Clothes hangers and almost any molded plastic objects can be made from this product.

THE FUTURE

The forest products industry is facing a new world of high consumer awareness and instantaneous information exchange. Environmental concerns and increasing competition are forcing companies to think about optimizing the wood resource and maximizing performance as opposed to the old focus on price. The wood-based fibre product line is good example of such an optimization strategy. Canfor's use of wood by-products and recycled wood increases its overall utilization of the wood resource. These products are a result of research into product development and process technology. Efficiency and innovation are keys to maintaining a competitive edge in the global markets of today and tomorrow.

For wood-based fibre products, the search continues for more efficient and environmentally appropriate processes for cleaning and segregating wastewood. This could open a much larger recycled resource base for wood-fibre products. Consumers are looking for low impact, sustainable industries, and an increased recycled resource base would become another competitive edge for this product line.

For more information check out the following web site:

References:

Canfor Panel and Fibre: An Introduction to Products and Processes. Canfor Corporation (1998) Canfor Corporation, Vancouver. Forest Education Modules: Secondary Wood Products COFI. (1992) Wood handbook: Wood as an engineering material Forest Products Laboratory. 1987. Agric. Handbook 72. USDA Washington,D.C. Forest Products and Wood Science Haygreen, J. and Bower. J. (1996) Iowa State University Press. Ames Iowa

This site's design is only visible in a graphical browser that supports web standards,
but its content is accessible to any browser or Internet device.