Innovation in Wood Use - Western Hardwood · consumer content (the reclaimed wood face veneer) MR 5...

Innovation in Wood Use

Western Hardwood Association International Convention & Exposition

May 21st, 2014Portland, OR

Scott LeavengoodOregon State University

Outline

• Innovation Drivers – on a global scale• Industry responses to those drivers

– Innovation examples

Innovation DriversPast (& Present)

• Increase durability• Increase Yield, Cut Costs

– Process automation– Process optimization

http://www.wolfsandjung.com/WJ/NatureV2.01.html

Innovation DriversPresent & Future (?)

Natural Sustainable

Renewable

Natural - “Consider the Source”Bio-Based Products

• Chemical feedstocks• Plastics• Adhesives

“PepsiCo’s ‘green’ bottle is 100 percent recyclable... The bottle is made from bio-based raw materials, including switch grass, pine bark and corn husks. In the future, the company expects to broaden the renewable sources used to create the ‘green’ bottle to include orange peels, oat hulls and other agriculture byproducts from its foods business...”

‘Green’ Adhesives

Innovation for Sustainability

• Wood modification to:– improve durability (longevity)– compete with tropical hardwoods– Examples:

• Polymer-impregnation• Acetylation• Furfurylation• Thermal modification• Mechanical densification

MR 4 (Recycled Content)

Nydree Flooring’s Reclaimed products are made up of 28% post-consumer content (the reclaimed wood face veneer)

MR 5 (Regional Materials)

Nydree Flooring’s manufacturing facility is located in Karthaus, Pennsylvania in the west-central portion of the state and in proximity to one of the most populous regions of the United States. Certain wear layer species, constituting approximately 28% of our engineered flooring by volume, can be harvested within 500 miles of our facility and hence can qualify for this credit. [Map of a 500 mile radius around Karthaus, PA ]

MR 7 (Certified Wood)

Nydree Flooring is proud that the majority of our products are available as FSC-Certified. The FSC claim for our flooring is FSC Mixed 72%.

Acetylation

Furfurylation

“Kebony is based on a process where sustainable wood is made more durable, harder and more stable using liquids from biowaste material... sustainable alternative to hardwoods from tropical regions.”

“Furfuryl alcohol, which is produced from biological waste from sugar production, is used during production of the products. The liquid used is reactive and it permeates the pores of the wood. Heat is also applied, which means that the liquid is polymerised into the wood. This turns it into a material with long durability and greater strength and hardness.”

Mechanical Hardening• “VTC Wood” (viscoelastic thermal compressed) Dr. Fred Kamke, Oregon State University

Natural, Sustainable & Renewable!• Wood vs. other building materials

– Green buildings• Certified wood• Locally-sourced wood• Formaldehyde-free composites• Etc.

– Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT)

Wood:Natural, Sustainable & Renewable!

And kind of cool too…

Natural, Sustainable, Renewable!

Oregon Wood Innovation Center119 Richardson HallCorvallis, OR 97331http://owic.oregonstate.edu

Scott Leavengood(541) 737-4212Scott.Leavengood@oregonstate.edu

Kent Davis(541) 737-4252Kent.Davis@oregonstate.edu

Chris Knowles(541) 737-1438Chris.Knowles@oregonstate.edu

Additional Materials