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The physical properties of kenaf offer potential as an alternative raw material for the manufacture of paper. Investigations to date have not determined whether core and fiber should be pulped together or separately. Kenaf bast and core fibers of different cultivars were pulped under various kraft pulping conditions and physical properties: density, Canadian Standard freeness, caliper, elongation, tensile strength, tensile index, tensile energy absorption, ISO brightness, printing opacity, bursting strength, burst index, tear resistance, tearing index, and smoothness of the test sheets...

Mildew growth is an ongoing problem. Fungal spores land on surface and, under the environmental conditions, grow. Ideal conditions are warm, moist climates, oxygen, and a substrate that serves as a nutrient source for mildew. Mildew growth on finishes cause discoloration and premature failure of the finish. Prevention of mildew can be done by pretreating the wood with a preservative that contains a mildewcide. Removal of mildew is achieved by using appropriate cleaning solutions. Finishes that contain synthetic mildewcides, with or without zinc oxide, help the finish resist mildew growth.

More than 160 million tons of waste wood were generated last year. This report from the Forest Products Laboratory analyzes recovery data and methods.

As in other industries, the fortunes of the U.S. pulp and paper industry are now closely tied to the global economy. The U.S. pulp and paper sector exhibits fairly steady production and growth trends, but its economic fortunes have become intertwined with the bglobal cyclec of supply and demand. Exposure to the global cycle has increased for the U.S. in recent decades with increased levels of U.S. product exports. One effect of this exposure in recent years is increased market volatility associated with trade-related adjustments in export demands and capacity utilization. Price volatility...

Throughout history, the unique characteristics and comparative abundance of wood have made it a natural material for homes and other structures, furniture, tools, vehicles, and decorative objects. Today, for the same reasons, wood is prized for a multitude of uses. All wood is composed of cellulose, lignin, hemicelluloses, and minor amounts (5% to 10%) of extraneous materials contained in a cellular structure. Variations in the characteristics and volume of these components and differences in cellular structure make woods heavy or light, stiff or flexible, and hard or soft. The properties...

Exterior stains for wood protect the wood surface from sunlight and moisture. Because stains are formulated to penetrate the wood surface, they are not prone to crack or peel as can film-forming finishes, such as paints. This publication describes the properties of stains and wood, methods for applying stains, and the expected service life of stains.

This paper reports prices for aggregations of lumber grades that are representative of the quality and volume of lumber produced from small-diameter timber stands in the Intermountain West area encompassing Idaho and Montana and land east of the Cascade Mountain range in Oregon and Washington. Price data are reported for Douglas Fir1Larch, Hem1Fir, ponderosa pine, and lodgepole pine. Forest managers can use the grade aggregations in conjunction with the Financial Evaluation of Ecosystem Management Activities (FEEMA) software to evaluate silvicultural treatments for small-diameter timber...

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of fungal pretreatment of whole kenaf prior to refining on refiner electrical energy consumption, paper strength, and optical properties. We also explored the suitability of whole kenaf biomechanical pulp for making newsprint in terms of ISO brightness and strength properties. Kenaf was sterilized by autoclaving and treated with the white-rot fungus Ceriporiopsis subvermispora. Control and fungus-treated kenaf fiber was pulped by refiner mechanical pulping (RMP) and chemirefiner mechanical pulping (CRMP) processes. Pulps were then...

Production of a lightweight, high opacity printing paper is a common goal of papermakers using virgin or recycled fibers. Fiber loading is an innovative, commercially viable process that can substantially upgrade and extend most types of wood fibers. Fiber loading, a process carried out at high consistency and high alkalinity, precipitates calcium carbonate (PCC) in situ within pulp fibers. Because paper made from fiber-loaded pulp is stronger than that made by the conventional addition of PCC, it is an ideal technology for producing a reduced basis-weight paper from virgin and recycled...

The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if physiological and/or biochemical factors such as growth rate, tolerance to and ability to degrade PCP or creosote have use for predicting the potential bioremediation performance of fungi. Because we have focused the initial development of a fungal-based soil remediation technology on PCP- and/or creosote-contaminated soils, the groups of fungi that were evaluated in this study were organisms isolated or known to grow on PCP- or creosote- treated wood.