State & Private Forestry
Forest Products Laboratory
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USDA Forest Service
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The SmallWood '98 Conference and Exposition, sponsored by the Blue Mountains Natural Resources Institute, Idaho Rural Partnership, Intermountain Woodnet, Oregon Economic Development Department, and USDA Forest Service, will be held October 14-17 at the Red Lion Hotel in Lewiston, ID. The ultimate goals of this event are to improve forest health by effective utilization of small-diameter timber and to improve the regional economy by creating new forest product businesses in the Intermountain West. Specific objectives are to demonstrate equipment and products and to encourage adoption of (1) harvesting and manufacturing methods designed for small-diameter timber, (2) forest products made from small-diameter timber, and (3) innovative marketing practices that permit entrepreneurs to expand current operations or begin new businesses that use small-diameter timber.
Visit the Web site at http://www.eou.edu/bmnri/smallwood.html for more information. For program and/or registration materials, contact Joanne Parsons or Linda Fratzke, conference coordinators, at (541) 962-6574; e-mail: dfratzke@grh.org (Linda Fratzke).
Dividends From Wood Research, the semiannual listing of publications on wood utilization research at the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, has been released for the period July 1 to December 31, 1997. To get on the mailing list for Dividends, contact FPL Information Services by phone (608- 231-9200), Fax (608-231-9592), or e-mail. Listed publications are available as PDF documents for viewing or printing. (Note: To date, over 850 publications are available online.)
Compensation for State Restriction of Logging - A jury in Clatsop County, OR, unanimously decided that Boise Cascade Corp. should be awarded more than $2 million from the State of Oregon in compensation for the State's restriction of logging on a 56-acre (23-hectare) tract of timberland in northwest Oregon. The award was based on the difference in the value of the logs between 1993 and 1997, during which time the State placed a series of moratoriums on logging activity; the award included interest for the 57 months during which logging was banned. The logging moratoriums were in response to the discovery of a nest with two northern spotted owls on the land.
All 12 members of the jury agreed that the State moratoriums effectively destroyed the company's ability to make a profit from its land. Boise Cascade argued that the Government in effect had occupied its land, forcing the creation of a wildlife reserve.
The owl nest has been abandoned. The female owl was found dead last October,
and the male moved to a new nest about 8 miles (13 km) away. Although both
State and Federal law require a 3-year moratorium on logging after an owl nest
is found empty, the logging ban was lifted once the fate of the owls was known.
[Source: Southern Lumberman, April 1998]
The Forest Products Society Great Lakes Section, in cooperation with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, is sponsoring a meeting on technologies and applications for molded, formed, and extruded wood products on May 19 in Grand Rapids, MI. The meeting will include tours of Davidson Plyforms, Inc. and Stiles Machinery, Inc. For more information, contact Jim Post at (616) 455-3510; Fax: (616) 455-2484.
The 1998 Annual Meeting of the Forest Products Society (FPS) will be held June 21-24 in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Sessions will cover (1) silvicultural control of forest fiber biology and effects on wood-based products; (2) predictive techniques for characterizing the structural performance of fiber-based composites; (3) use of wood physics to improve wood drying; (4) wood adhesion research; (5) international topics in forest economics and finance; (6) forest products marketing; (7) secondary wood product manufacturing and trade in North America; (8) current composite panel research; (9) structural panel properties; (10) communication technologies and the forest products community; (11) emerging sawmill technologies for emerging markets; and (12) environmentally responsive forest-based developments. For further information and registration materials, contact Julie Lang of FPS at (608) 231-1361, ext. 208 or Fax: (608) 231-2152.
1998 Meeting of the Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST) will be held June 21 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., in conjunction with the annual FPS meeting. The afternoon session, cosponsored by SWST and FPS, will include technical papers and poster presentations related to fundamental wood science and technology. SWST and the Mid-South Section of FPS will host a reception in the evening. For more information, contact Vicki Herian at (608) 231-9347; Fax: (608) 231-9592; or e-mail.
Market Potential of Gypsum Fiberboard - The raw materials and byproducts used to make gypsum fiberboard (GFB)--rock gypsum, flue gas desulphurated gypsum (FGD) or other byproduct gypsum, wastepaper, and magazines--are readily available and economical. Although the raw materials used for GFB are different than those used for particleboard or medium-density fiberboard, these composites are similar in manufacturing plant layout and processing. Raw material utilization is simpler in a GFB plant, and GFB does not require drying and adhesives.
Newsprint/magazine fiber constitutes about 18% of the total furnish, usually in a ratio of 60:40 newspapers to magazines. After the paper is fiberized, the fiber is weighed and gypsum is introduced; the paper fiber and gypsum are blended in a continuous mixer. Approximately 80% of the prepared mat consists of gypsum. The final ingredients are stucco or calcium sulfate beta hemihydrate (plaster of Paris) and sander dust from the board line.
Initial GFB moisture content is about 25% and final moisture content is 0.8%. After drying, boards are sanded on one or two sides, depending on application. They are then coated with an emulsion that binds the dust, repels water, and serves as a release agent for wallpaper application.
Full-size (8- by 20-ft (2.4- by 6.1-m)) panels, or larger boards for niche markets, are cut to size, packaged, and shipped. The panels are usually 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, or 3/4 inch (9.5, 12.7, 15.9, or 19.1 mm) thick, and density is <74 lb/ft³ (<1,184 kg/m³). Lower density boards can be manufactured by increasing the paper fiber content. Because of the high inorganic binder, gypsum fiberboard has an official classification of A2 under the German DIN 4102 standard as a noncombustible building material.
Even when thoroughly soaked, gypsum fiberboard does not disintegrate, which
insurance companies cite as an advantage in flood-prone areas. A very large
market for GFB is for low-cost underlayment floor panel, especially in wet
areas. In the United States, the initial market potential of GFB has been
estimated at 5 billion ft² (465 million m²) per year. A very large target is
the industrialized home/panel fabricator.
[Source: Wood Technology, March 1998]
Michigan Forest Products Industry List - A comprehensive electronic list of Michigan's forest products industries is now available on the Internet and on CD-ROM. Compiled by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the list provides detailed information on the State's entire forest products industry, which includes 3,000 companies ranging from primary and value-added wood manufacturers to logging/trucking contractors and timber brokers and dealers.
The data can be searched by such variables as company name, location, product, and service. The Web site ( http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/dnr/main.htm) is free of charge. The CD-ROM costs $50, including shipping, handling, and tax. The advantages of the CD-ROM version are portability and greater search capacity compared to the Web site; it is designed for IBM-compatible computers with Windows95 (not designed to run with WindowsNT), 16 meg RAM minimum, and 65 meg free hard disk space. The CD-ROM can be ordered through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Forest Management Division, P.O. Box 30452, Lansing, MI 48909-7952. Tel: (517) 373-1275; Fax: (517) 373-2443. Checks are payable to the State of Michigan; VISA/Mastercard are also accepted. For more information, contact Anthony Weatherspoon at (517) 335-3332.
Effects of Southeast Asia Economic Situation on U.S. Lumber Markets - Lumber manufacturers and wholesale dealers in the southeastern United States apparently agree that hardwood markets are very strong. Hardwood markets also tend to be strong in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States in the wake of the crippling January ice storms. Although the performance of Southeast Asian money markets has had an impact on exports to countries other than Canada, hardwood companies apparently have not been affected.
On the other hand, the economic crisis in Southeast Asia has played havoc with
lumber markets on the West Coast. While some manufacturers who depend on
exports say that they have been able to find some new customers in the States,
this has not compensated for the business lost from their leading export
accounts. A California wholesaler said that a turnaround will depend on an end
to the crisis in Asia, although business may be spurred by the construction in
eastern Canada in the wake of the ice storm.
[Source: National Hardwood Magazine, April 1998]
Improved Method for Carbohydrate Analysis - Carbohydrate analysis can provide valuable information about many recycling and/or conservation processes. For example, it can be used to analyze paper sludge waste for its potential as substrate for ethanol production, to assess the selectivity (lignin/cellulose degradation) of biopulping organisms and protocols, to analyze recycled lumber for free carbohydrates that interfere with using such lumber in composites, to assess the effects of enzyme action in pulping and recycling processes, and to evaluate underutilized wood species.
During the last decade, high pH anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC/PAD) has gained increasing acceptance as the method of choice for analyzing neutral sugars that commonly occur in wood, pulp, and other lignocellulosic material. An upcoming paper from the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory in the Journal of Wood Chemistry and Technology (vol. 18, issue 2) describes modified chromatographic conditions and discusses other critical factors that improve the precision and efficiency of HPAEC/PAD.
Simplified sample pretreatment allows an approximate fivefold increase in sample throughput compared with gas chromatography of derivatized sugars or partition chromatography. Run times are less than half those of the widely used hydroxide reverse gradient method for HPAEC/PAD analysis of wood sugars. Long-term system performance data indicate that the method is highly precise and robust. The acetate loading method affords better precision than that of other HPAEC/PAD methods and that of gas chromatographic analysis of alditol acetate derivatives by Tappi Method T249 cm-85.
For more information, contact Mark Davis, Chemist, Analytical Chemistry and Microscopy Laboratory, Forest Products Laboratory. Tel: (608) 231-9474; Fax: (608) 231-9262.
Gasification of Black Liquor From Kraft Pulping - The paper industry is exploring
ways to increase pulp production capacity. Kraft process black liquor recovery
boilers and lime kilns often limit cost-effective capacity increases, and
current recovery boiler technology is costly and thermodynamically inefficient.
Operating problems such as fouling and sulfur emission can also be encountered
with recovery boilers. A more efficient black liquor recovery process might
lead to better energy recovery, with the potential for more in-house generation
of electricity. Gasification of pumpable liquid and dry pulverized carbonaceous
materials using pressurized, oxygen-blown gasifiers is underway in Germany and
is being proposed in the United States as a solution to lagging black liquor
recovery technology. Such a gasification system can produce a medium-Btu gas
and employ the higher efficiencies available through combined cycle and
cogeneration schemes for heat and electricity. The system also mitigates the
increased process load on lime kiln recausticizing systems. The pressurized,
oxygen-blown gasifier is said to produce green liquor with less sodium sulfate
and more caustic content than do recovery boilers.
[Source: Tappi Journal, 80(12): 111-116, 1997]
U.S. Commercialization of Black Liquor Technology - Development of black liquor and biomass gasifiers for gas turbine applications received considerable attention in the United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but interest waned with the return of low oil prices in the mid-1980s. While oil prices are still relatively low, the prospects for commercializing gasification technology for pulp and paper applications (and for the industry to realize associated benefits) have improved.
First, the North American black liquor industry is driven by a unique set of circumstances: increased demands on product performance to meet customer needs, continuing success in environmental improvement, increased global competition, increased pressure on capital performance, increased cost of commercializing new technology, reduced public and private research expenditures, and real or perceived inconsistencies in public policy. In addition, dependence on purchased electricity is growing.
Second, in part as a result of large investments in the development of coal-integrated gasification/combined cycle technology, the development of black liquor gasifier/combined cycle (BLGCC) and biomass gasifier/combined cycle (BGCC) technologies to commercial readiness might be accomplished relatively quickly.
Third, Agenda 2020, the forest and paper industry's technology visioning process which is catalyzed and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, provides a mechanism for companies to work together toward commercializing new technologies by collectively supporting precompetitive research, development, and demonstration activities. The commercialization of BGCC and BLGCC systems is a priority for three of the six Agenda 2020 focus areas: energy performance, improved capital effectiveness, and environmental performance.
Analyses at Princeton and elsewhere have shown that power production at a pulp mill could be doubled or tripled with gasifier combined cycle technology while still meeting process steam demand. In a detailed study of one of its facilities, Weyerhaeuser found that combined BLGCC and BGCC technologies would permit generation of about 100 MWe of electricity in excess of mill demands.
Estimates of the long-term economics of gasification-based power plants indicate that if R&D; hurdles can be overcome, such facilities will have lower fuel costs plus lower capital costs per unit of installed power capacity.
The first fully commercial black liquor gasifier--an air-blown, atmospheric- pressure unit with a processing capacity of 15 tons/hour of dry solids--is now operating at Weyerhaeuser's mill in New Bern, NC. Kvaerner Company announced an agreement with AssiDoman Kraftliner in Pitea, Sweden, to build the world's first integrated gasifier/gas turbine chemical recovery facility based on a commercial-scale version of Kvaerner's pressurized, oxygen-blown gasifier.
Biomass gasification may be somewhat closer to commercial readiness for gas turbine applications than for black liquor gasification. A number of air-blown atmospheric-pressure gasifiers are commercially operating in Europe, providing fuel to pulp mill lime kilns, and several gasifier/gas cleanup demonstration projects are in progress. The world's first fully integrated BGCC system in Varnamo, Sweden, a 6-MWe district heating-cogeneration application, has been undergoing testing since 1993.
While BLGCC and BGCC technologies are potentially attractive for pulp mills,
several hurdles remain to be overcome before these technologies are ready for
commercial service.
[Source: Tappi Journal, 80(12): 50-57, 1997]
Tests Show Superiority of Plywood Pallets -For their 1.4-million-ft² (130-thousand-m²) distribution center in Savannah, GA, The Home Depot found plywood best for a durable, full four-way entry pallet that can be racked in two directions. Imported goods are received by and stored in the distribution center before being shipped to the company's retail stores east of the Rocky Mountains. The location of the distribution center in Savannah is strategic, since the city is one of the largest container ports on the eastern seaboard. The warehouse is home to about 10,000 storekeeping units and about 150,000 captive plywood pallets. pThe decision to use plywood pallets was based on the results of tests on several prototype pallet designs. The Home Depot sent the designs to manufacturers of the conveyor, rack, and lift systems that would be used in the distribution center, and the manufacturers tested the prototype pallets to determine which design worked best. APA-The Engineered Wood Association used the Pallet Design System (PDS) computer program to predict the structural and durability performance of the plywood pallet design.
"We couldn't have used plastic pallets because they had major deflection when
racked," said Cantrelle Johnson, area manager of The Home Depot. "We couldn't
have used lumber board pallets because they wouldn't have worked on the
conveyors and they have only two-way entry."
[Source: Timber Processing, March 1998]
Softwood Lumber Price Fluctuations Lead to Substitutions and Use of Engineered Components - Since softwood lumber is a basic commodity, its price fluctuates according to demand and supply. Recent volatility and perceived high costs have led some lumber users to consider alternative species and engineered components.
Large stocks of virgin timber are still available in the northern boreal forests of North America. While small in diameter, trees from these stands tend to exhibit greater dimensional stability and mechanical consistency than do fast-grown stands in the south. For example, random sampling under the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in-grade testing program revealed less variability in the properties of Spruce-Pine-Fir than in those of Southern pine or Douglas fir-Larch. The substitution of northern species for southern species as well as western species has been an ongoing trend in North America over the last three decades.
Engineered products, both wood (laminated veneer lumber and I-beams) and nonwood (steel), offer greater stiffness, strength, dimensional stability, and straightnesss as well as longer lengths compared to solid-sawn lumber. Although engineered products in themselves cost more than lumber, installation and maintenance costs are lower. A willingness to pay the initial premium for overall lower costs is exemplified by the growth in the market share of engineered wood joists in the past decade. The only limit on the prospects for engineered wood joists may be the availability of the high quality timber required to obtain high mechanical properties. Traditional veneer technology is not adequate for fast-grown plantation pine or low-density hardwoods because their strength properties are low. Attempts to use strand lumber technology to produce I-beams flanges, if successful, would break that potential bottleneck.
Other substitutions for softwood lumber have been stressed-skin or insulated
panels, which are noted for their good insulation properties, and concrete. The
traditional drawbacks of concrete (that it is damp and cold) have been overcome
by modern insulation systems, although such systems are expensive. Because
concrete is an excellent sound insulator, it offers a solution to noise from
highways in urban areas. Steel-reinforced concrete is noted for its strength.
Wood structures can be designed for high wind or earthquake resistance, but
their construction involves additional costs for holddown hardware such as
connectors, bolts, and screws.
[Source: Timber Processing, March 1998]
Strawboard Development Supported by Resin Advances - Boards manufactured from straw are similar to those manufactured from wood. Despite the vast quantities of wheat straw and other cereal fibers available, such agricultural fibers do not pose a threat to wood as furnish for particleboard and medium-density fiberboard. Compared with softwoods, wheat straw contains less cellulose and lignin and more hemicellulose and ash. Ash, which is mainly silica, is an undesirable contaminant.
Irrespective of plant size and mechanical processing techniques, development of viable strawboard products has relied upon a suitable resin for binding the particles together. The problem is that the resin must be able to penetrate the waxy epidermal layer of wheat straw. So far, producers have been using forms of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), also called isocyanate, for the resin. Unlike urea-formaldehyde, phenol-formaldehyde, and melamine-formaldehyde resins, which are widely used in the wood industry, MDI has been successful in binding the straw particles together.
MDI has also gained a firm toehold in the wood-based particleboard industry. It
forms an exceedingly strong bond, cures very quickly, and does not emit
formaldehyde. Despite these advantages, the cost of MDI is high. Some
manufacturers are switching to using 30% urea formaldehyde with isocyanate.
[Source: Wood Technology, March 1998]
"Grounds for Gathering: Basketry Plants West of the Cascades," is a
well-organized, illustrated book with all sorts of information on gathering
plants for making baskets: locale, time of year, environmental concerns, plant
part to be collected, uses, and methods for gathering, drying, storing, and
preparing the plants. For information on how to order the 1997 edition, write
to Reezed, 1349 South Hudson, Seattle, WA 98108.
[Source: Andrew Kratz, Botanist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain
Region, Golden, CO]
Thin Kerf Technologies, Inc. (TKT) of Surrey, BC, Canada, has a new Web site for presenting its products and services related to sawing technology and machine alignment. The site hosts The Filer's Form, an open forum for those interested in sawing technology for the primary and secondary wood industries. The TKT home page also has links to Web pages of other companies and organizations involved in sawing technology. According to Bruce Lehmann of TKT, more links and other information will be added in response to feedback and requests from visitors to the site, to develop the TKT Web site into a useful access point for exchanging practical technical information within the industry. The TKT Web site is located at http://www.thinkerf.com.
The International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply Fair will be held August 20-23 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. More than 1,200 companies will exhibit their machinery, supplies, and services for the plastics and woodworking industries. Technical experts will be available for advice on production problems for both small shops and large production manufacturers. For more information, visit the Fair's Web site ( http://www.iwf98.com) or call (770) 246-0608.
Training for the Lake States Wood Industry provided by the Lake States Lumber Association (LSLA) will take place in Minnesota and Wisconsin in June and July:
Contents
Forest Products Laboratory |
Forest Service |
USDA
Please send any questions or comments to
TMU/fpl@fs.fed.us.
Contact-Name: Adele Olstad
Contact-Phone: 608/231-9329
Document-Date: 1998 May 4
Abstract: April 1998 Issue of FPC&R; Review