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Abstract
As a part of the National Fire Plan, the USDA Forest Service is conducting research to reduce the severity of forest fires through effective utilization of low-or no-value logging residues and forest thinnings. This report explores the effect of processing on the physical properties of the fibrous material and flat fiberboard panels made from small-diameter lodgepole pine treetops processed with the bark. Delimbed treetops were chipped and fiberized with water using commercial equipment, digested with hot water and/or small amounts of chemical additives, refined in a disk refiner, and hot-pressed to make flat panels. To observe only the effects of water and additives on fiber bonding, adhesive resin was not used. We evaluated the effects of processing variables (digester temperature, refining level, and sodium hydroxide content) on fiber length, freeness, fines content, and shive content. Fiber quality was related to mechanical properties of the flat panels. The mechanical properties of the resin-free fiberboard surpassed the minimum standards for commercial hardboard. We conclude that small-diameter lodgepole pine treetops with bark are well-suited for the production of structural boards. This research is part of a larger program for developing three-dimensional geometries for engineered fiberboard products.
Keywords
Fiberboard,
testing,
mechanical properties,
lodgepole pine,
slash,
wood fibers,
thinnings,
small timbers,
smallwood,
physical properties,
small-diameter timber
Citation
Hunt, John F.; Ahmed, Aziz; Friedrich, Katherine. 2008. Effects of fiber processing on properties of fiber and fiberboard made from lodgepole pine treetops. Forest Products Journal. 58(6): 82-87
