Innovation in Wood Use

Western Hardwood Association International Convention & Exposition

August 19th, 2015Portland, OR

Scott LeavengoodOregon State University

Outline

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

– Innovation examples• Research at OSU

– Hardwood focus

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...”

Source: http://www.mbtmag.com/news/2015/06/coke-unveils-bottle-made-entirely-plant-materials

“PlantBottle packaging pushes the boundaries on sustainable innovation… made from renewable plant materials.”

Natural Sweeteners

‘Green’ Adhesives

Innovation for Sustainability• Wood modification to:

– improve durability (longevity)– compete with tropical hardwoods– Examples:

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

Thermo-Mechanical modification

Acetylation

Stability and durability were key factors for specifiying Accoya in this 3,000m2 farmhouse in Delhi.

Spread out over two floors the entrance door was constructed out of solid Accoya® Alder, measuring 1.5 metres wide x 4.2 metreshigh, with a 4mm clearance around the edges.

Only a timber as dimensionally stable as Accoya could provide this product solution, and particularly when temperatures are so high, such as 45 degrees C in Delhi. For example on one side of the door there is extreme heat and humidity and there is air conditioning on the other side which shows how stable Accoyawood is in an extreme climate.

On the front aspect of the home the cladding, curtain walling and 4.2 metre high Accoya French doors are visible. Achieving a stable 4.2 metres French door with 100mm wide stiles is quite unique, especially when its fully exposed to the Delhi weather.

Furthermore the Bedroom lift and slide door to back garden with a cladding surround are all made in Accoya.

The architect specified Accoya with confidence, knowing that it will last in this extreme climate.

Accoya was Supplied by Ritikaa Wood, Accoya distributor in India

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)

Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering 26(7): 2014

• “Practical implication was to determine whether hybrid poplar is a viable option for use in structural design of CLT.”

• Results from long and short span bending:– “CLT will potentially meet and exceed the shear and bending strength

requirements for ANSI/APA PRG-320”– Hybrid poplar did not meet the stiffness requirements.

• “Hybrid poplar could be utilized in conjunction with higher density species.”

Fostering Innovation w/ ResearchOWIC update

• Minimizing veneer checking• Engineered flooring performance• Assessing Pacific albus wood quality

Veneer Checking (cracking)

• Primary issues are with maple• Assisting with claims and NPD

– Use of hybrid poplar cross-bands• Using digital image correlation (DIC) to

measure checks as they form

• -30C to +40C • 10-95% RH • water misting system • UV Light

The MCMEC

Engineered Flooring

• Conversation started based on veneer checking– Now exploring performance more generally:

• Warp (bow & cup)• Shrink/swell• Hardness• Checking

– Based on combinations of core type, veneer species, prep method, adhesive, etc.

Hardness (Janka)

+448 +266 +165 n.s. n.s.

Wood Handbook:white oak = 1360 lbs.

Substrates Engineered Solid

C. American Thailand Comp. 1 Comp. 2 White Oak Red Oak Walnut 1 Walnut 2 Teak FJ Teak Red Oak White Oak

Wood Quality

• Evaluating Pacific albus wood quality:– Hardness– Specific Gravity– Shrink/swell– Screw withdrawal– Bending strength & stiffness

• Based on:– Clone, tree, position within stem (height and

compass orientation)

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

Albus Wood QualityHardness

63 36 30 15 17 27 14 14 34

(lbs.

)(lb

s.)

Albus Wood Quality Bending Stiffness

(psi

)665952332610

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%.

http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2015/06/03/4247777.htm

Wood:Natural, Sustainable & Renewable!

And kind of cool too…

Natural, Sustainable, Renewable!