1.

Descriptions of manufacturing processes

1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Particleboard production Plywood Introduction Sawmilling production

1.1 Introduction
Due to the adoption of energy conservation measures it was necessary to make a-detailed analysis of the process involved and equipment used in such a process. This analysis had to identify the amount, type and quality of energy required so as to identify possible energy savings compatible to the respective cost-benefit analysis. The following process descriptions of the manufacture of sawn timber, plywood and particleboard are of a general nature and should provide the reader with a broad outline of the production processes involved in the mechanical wood-based industry and the role in which energy plays a part.

1.2 Sawmilling
1.2.1 Log 1.2.2 Log 1.2.3 Sorting 1.2.4 1.2.5 Regrading and surfacing sorting sawing and and or barking breakdown grading Drying

Sawmilling is a less sophisticated activity of the mechanical forest industries. It implies a certain number of operations from handling and transportation of logs to timber drying, sorting and classification which require different types of energy. Whereas in developing countries most of the processes are highly mechanized and the energy requirements are met basically with the generation of a few kW to drive the main saws. The rest of the processes are carried out using animal power and low-cost manpower. Nevertheless, independently of the nature of the processes and activities involved, all actions aimed to save energy require a detailed analysis of existing processes and possible solutions. Figure 1 provides a layout of a typical plant and a description of the main processes to familiarize the reader.

1.2.1 Log sorting and barking

On arrival at the mill's storage yard, logs are sorted and stored according to species, diameter, length and end-use, etc. Sufficient quantities are stockpiled to ensure the sawmill's continuous operation, particularly during adverse weather conditions when log extraction and supply from the forests may be adversely affected. Transportation and handling of logs vary from mill to mill and largely depend on the capacity of the sawmill operation and the size of the loss received. Manual and animal power, as may be used in small portable sawmill units, through to log-carrying front-end loaders and overhead cranes indicate the wide variety of handling equipment currently in use. Figure 1. Sawmilling - A simplied process flow Debarking of logs, whether it be undertaken manually or by mechanical debarkers, in the forests or at the mill site, is now becoming a generally adopted practice. Debarking is to safeguard saws and other equipment from undue wear and damage that would otherwise result from stones, metal and other such contraries embedded in the bark; debarking also facilitates the head sawyer to evaluate the timber. Log washers may also be used to remove any remaining sand or dirt that may adher to the logs' surface.

1.2.2 Log sawing or breakdown

Before the log is presented to the headrig for breakdown, it is cut to the longest permissible straight length with a cut-off saw, whereupon it is loaded onto the headsaw carriage and positioned in such a manner as to allow the operator to achieve a sawing pattern, which will result in the optimum production of sawntimber with the minimum of waste. The pattern of cut is largely determined by the dimension and condition of the log, as well as the market requirements for the widths and thicknesses of the lumber. Sawing of the log is achieved by the use of a bandsaw or a circular saw with a second saw mounted vertically above the first in the event of sawing large diameter logs. A log carriage conveys the log through the headsaw on which the log may be clamped and turned, so as to enable it to be presented to the headsaw in order to achieve the best sawing pattern. Following the headrig, further breakdown of slabs, flitches and cants takes place in the resaw, which enables the wood to be upgraded; thick slabs being sawn into planks and the flitches and cants sawn into planks and boards. The rough round edges of the pieces coming from the headrig and resaws are removed by either a circular saw or chipper edger so as to produce standardized widths as required. On leaving the headrig, resaw or edger, the lumber is cut to standardized lengths, edges squared and defects removed by the use of one or more fixed or moveable trimming saws, whereupon the lumber proceeds to be sorted and graded.

1.2.3 Sorting and grading

The sawn and trimmed timber is sorted according to thickness, width, length, quality, grade and species depending on the market requirements; such an activity may be undertaken manually or, in the case of mills where low-cost labour is not available, by mechanized sorters. Grading is a means to segregate the lumber according to the overall quality, direction of grain, presence of knots and defects, as well as general appearance, etc. To protect the sawntimber against attack from fungi and insects, as well as to inhibit the tendency of air-dried lumber to check and split, the ends may be brushed either manually or

mechanically dipped in a suitably prepared chemical solution. Wax or paint is applied to the endgrain of lumber to be air-dried, either by brush or spraying, so as to act as a sealant in order to bring about a slower drying of the extremities and hence, give rise to a more uniform drying of the lumber.

1.2.4 Drying
Sawntimber that is not sold green is either air- or kiln-dried, thus improving its marketability. By drying and lowering the moisture content to an acceptable level its value is enhanced by virtue of the fact that the timber is dimensionally stabilized and its strength and colour improved; also a reduction in weight lowers transport costs. Air drying involves the stacking of sawntimber in piles in the open or under sheds on suitably prepared ground, in such a manner that they are exposed to a good flow of air until such time that the required moisture content is attained. Although air drying involves minimal capital and operating costs it does require a large amount of land, involves large inventories which constitute a fire risk, and the conditions and rate of drying are very much beyond the yard operator's control. Kiln drying, on the other hand, enables the sawntimber to dry in a closed and controlled environment where temperature, air circulation and humidity may be regulated so as to achieve the most economical drying conditions without resulting in degrade. The two most common kilns are the batch and progressive type. The former dries the timber in chambers as a batch charge, whereas the latter dries the timber whilst it progresses through the length of the kiln on trucks. As kiln-drying of sawntimber accounts for some 70-90 percent of the total energy consumed in the sawmilling process, it is now becoming a widely accepted practice in the sawmilling industry to use its residues as a fuel source, the energy value of which may even be surplus to the mill's requirements.

1.2.5 Regrading and surfacing

Before stacking the sawntimber for storage, it is normally inspected for any defects which may have resulted during the drying process, such as split-ends, loose knots, etc., which may be removed by trimming and therefore upgrading its value. Further upgrading may be effected by surface planing with the use of rotary knife planers or abrasive belts, according to the needs of the market.

1.3 Plywood production

1.3.1 Log sorting, 1.3.2 Peeling, 1.3.3 1.3.4 1.3.5 1.3.6 Finishing conditioning reeling Veneer and and barking clipping drying Assembly Pressing

In Figure 2, a typical plant layout is provided to illustrate to the readers the processes involved.

1.3.1 Log sorting, conditioning and barking

Logs of suitable dimension and quality for slicing and peeling are generally sorted in the logyard upon arrival, according to size and species. Handling may be by heavy lift trucks, derricks or cranes, all of which are sized to cater for the logs' dimensions and weight. Figure 2. Plywood production - A simplified process flow Before peeling, the majority of timbers need to be conditioned so as to soften the wood in order to facilitate peeling and to produce an acceptable quality of veneer. Conditioning involves the exposure of the peeler blocks to both heat and moisture by way of soaking in hot water vats or exposed to live steam or hot water sprays. Debarking of the logs then takes place so as to facilitate the lathe operator's task and to remove the dirt and debris which would otherwise prove detrimental to the lathe knife, whereupon the logs are cut to length to fit the lathe, which is normally 240-270 cm.

1.3.2 Peeling, reeling and clipping

Nowadays, in almost all cases, plywood veneer is rotary cut, in that the peeler block is rotated around its axis in a lathe, whilst a continous veneer sheet is cut by a knife mounted parallel to the block's axis. The veneer sheet is then wound on spools, or led to a multi-tray system, so as to provide storage and surge capacity in the event of fluctuations in the veneer feed from the lathe; speeds of both storage systems are generally synchronized to that of the lathe. The green veneer is then clipped to size, either manually or by high-speed knives, graded and stored in piles ready for drying. Any defects, such as knots and splits, are then cut out of the sheet.

1.3.3 Veneer drying

The drying of veneer, to between two and ten percent moisture content, is to aid the gluing process during the manufacture of the plywood. Depending on the location and sophistication of the plywood mill, the veneer sheets may either be left outside to dry in the air or kiln-dried. Kilndrying involves the drying of stacked veneer in batches or the continuous drying of sheets which are mechanically conveyed either on a continous belt or roller system through the length of the dryer. Obviously a controlled drying environment, with minimal handling, will result in a more uniformly dried veneer, with the least amount of damage. Veneer drying accounts for some 70 percent of the thermal energy consumed in plywood production and approximately 60 percent of the mill's total energy requirement. For this reason new and improved drying systems are being constantly developed, as well as the manner in which they are heated. Dryer heating may be by the indirect use of steam or thermic oil, or direct firing with the temperature being controlled by the regulation of the fresh-air make-up. Although drying temperatures of between 90-160C may be considered normal, increased temperatures of some 175C are being used on certain species in order to reduce the overall drying time.

1.3.4 Assembly
The assembly of the plywood prior to pressing entails the jointing of the narrow strips of veneer, which are edge-glued so as to make sheets of the required size. Glue is then applied to the inner

plies or core, which in turn, are laid between the outer veneers ready for bonding. This operation accounts for a large share of the manual labour employed in the production process. Although hand roller spreaders is a widely used method of glue application, developments in alternative systems have led to the adoption of curtain coaters, extruders, spray booths, etc., each with their own following.

1.3.5 Pressing
Once the veneers are laid-up as assembly plywood sheets, they are fed into hydraulic presses so as to bring the veneer into direct contact with the adhesive, where the application of heat cures the glue. The departure from single opening cold presses towards multiple-opening hot presses, with between 5 to 25 daylights and operating at platen temperatures in the order of 80-180C, has considerably reduced the overall pressing cycle time and increased press capacity. Heating of the platens is generally by hot water or steam, although thermic oil is used when pressing at higher temperatures. Cold pre-pressing, at comparatively low pressures, is not being incorporated in the more recent production lines. This is largely due to the fact that veneer stuck together is easier to handle and load into the hot-press, added to which the ply's reduced thickness allows for smaller daylight openings in the hot press resulting in an overall reduction in loading and hot pressing time.

1.3.6 Finishing
Primary finishing, which entails the trimming, sanding and upgrading of the plywood after pressing, is undertaken so as to enhance the marketability of the product. It is carried out at either separate work stations, or, in the case of modern mills, as a combined operation in a continuous semi-automatic line. Trimming saws cut the plywood boards to the required size, which are then sanded in machines fitted with wide-belt or drum sanders so as to obtain the desired surface smoothness. Damage or imperfections to the face veneers are then manually repaired by plugging and the application of patches. Plywood is produced in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses, although the sizes most commonly produced are 1220 x 2440 mm together with 1830 x 3050 mm and 915 x 915 mm sized panels. Thicknesses may range from 3-25 mm, with the number of plies being between three for boards up to 7.5 mm thick, to five or more plies for thicker varieties.

1.4 Particleboard production

1.4.1 1.4.2 Particle 1.4.3 Blending 1.4.4 1.4.5 Board finishing Particle drying and and mat preparation screening forming Pressing

In most cases, particle production involves a certain number of operations as described below (see Figure 3) which require different amounts and types of energy.

Figure 3. Particleboard production - A simplified process flow

1.4.1 Particle preparation

Particleboard furnish is derived from a multiple of sources and as the competition for solid wood and solid wood residues increases, manufacturers are having to resort to the use of low grade residues, such as hogged mill waste, sawdust, planer shavings, etc., as well as wood species not previously considered. In view of the wide assortment of furnish delivered to the mill-yard, segregation as to size, and if possible, species, must be carried out prior to the reduction process. Bark is removed from logs, if not already done in the forests, so as to avoid blunting chipper knives, and the provision of stone-traps and magnetic separators safeguard other reduction equipment from damage which would otherwise be caused if contraries were introduced with the fibre furnish. The particle size and geometry, as required for the core and surface layers of the particleboard, are produced by a diverse range of reduction equipment which is matched to the variety and size of wood and wood residues used. Chippers, knife-ring-flakers, hammer mills, disc refiners, etc., each operating on a different principle, using either knives, hammer bars, grooved disc plates, etc., are but some in common use in the industry.

1.4.2 Particle drying and screening

The greater part of the furnish delivered to the mill needs to be dried so that the overall moisture level of the particles is in the order of three to eight percent for the purpose of bonding with liquid resins. Particle drying is a continuous process with the particles moving along the length of rotating horizontal dryers whilst being suspended and exposed to hot gases or heat emitted from tube bundles which convey hot water, steam or thermic oil. Heat is produced by the combustion of oil, gas or process residues. Flash drying is now being considered an acceptable alternative to rotary dryers and requires somewhat lower drying temperatures. Directly after drying, the particles are screened for size in vibrating or gyrating screens, or by way of air classification. Screening normally takes place after the dryers as moist particles tend to stick together, plugging screen plates and lowering the overall efficiency of the screening process. Particles are separated according to size, for the purpose of grading the furnish for the board face and core layers. It is essential that the oversized particles be recycled for further reduction and that the fines are screened out, so as to avoid consuming a disproportionate amount of resin binder, and to provide a valued source of fuel.

1.4.3 Blending and mat forming

Adhesives in the form of urea, phenol and melamine formaldehyde are generally used to bind together the particle mix, with the former being the most favoured resin in use. Between three and ten percent by weight of resin, together with other additives used to impart such properties as fire resistance, etc., are blended under controlled conditions in batches or as a continous operation. Blending may either take place in large vats at slow speed, or in small blenders with rapid mixing and shorter blending times. In the more modern particleboard plants mat forming is a wholly mechanical process, whereas the older formers require manual equalizing. In spite of the wide variety of formers currently

available, the underlying principles of mat formation are generally similar, in that a uniform flow of particles are fed to the former from a surge bin, which in turn meters an evenly distributed layer of particles into a frame on a moving belt or caul. The formers may be fitted with single or multiple forming heads, which are either stationary or moving, and are so designed that the finest particles are delivered to form the surface layers of the mat and the coarser materials to form the core. In all cases it is paramount that an evenly distributed mat of the desired weight be formed. Mats that do not conform to standard are rejected and recycled. Transportation of the mats to the pre-press and hot press is undertaken by either forming the mat on metal plates, called cauls, which are then either manually or mechanically wheeled to the presses, or in the case of caulless systems, by using flexible metal webs, plastic belts and trays that transport the mats through to the hot-press.

1.4.4 Pressing
Pre-pressing of the mats prior to the introduction in the multi-platen hot presses, is now becoming a common feature in the pressing operation, due to the consolidation and reduction in mat width. This allows for ease of handling and the use of narrower openings in the hot-press, thereby considerably reducing pressing time. Whereas the pre-presses may be of the hot or cold type, the main press is always heated, by passing hot water, steam or oil through the platens to attain temperatures in the order of 140200C, depending on the resins in use and the type of press. Single or multiple opening hot presses may be used with the loading and unloading undertaken manually or mechanically by cable, chain lifts or hydraulics, depending on the age and sophistication of the plant. Although in the larger modern installations both pressing time and pressures are automatically regulated, hand control is still preferred in many plants as it permits adjustments to be made for the different mat qualities.

1.4.5 Board finishing

On leaving the hot press the boards are either separated from the cauls by hand, or mechanically by means of chains or turning devices. The cauls are stacked, allowed to cool and then returned to the forming station on push carts or mechanically transported on a fixed return line. The boards in turn, are cooled and conditioned so as to avoid degradation of the urea resins. Trimming saws are used to cut the boards to size, with the edge trimmings being either recycled or used for fuel. In order to meet set standards as to thickness and surface quality, a combination of knife planers and belt or drum sanders may be used. Once the boards have been surface finished they are cut to size along their length and widths with a combination of saws, according to the dictates of the market. Particleboard is normally produced as 1220 x 2440 mm panels with thicknesses ranging from 3-35 mm, 19 mm being the most common. Generally boards are manufactured in the medium-density range of 400-800 kg per cubic metre, although high-density board of 800-1120 kg per cubic metre is used as core stock.
Journal of Tropical Forest Science 1(1) : 26 - 34.

UREA-FORMALDEHYDE PARTICLEBOARD FROM YEMANE (GMELINA ARBOREA)

L.T. Chew, C.L. Ong Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong, 52109 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. & Suhaimi Muhammad Mara Institute of Technology, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Received April 1988, accepted July 1988. CHEW, L.T., ONG, C.L. & SUHAIMI MUHAMMAD. 1988. Urea-formaldehyde particleboard from yemane (Gmelina arborea). Yemane, one of the species of the Compensatory Forest Plantation Programme, provides a source of suitable raw material for the manufacture of medium density urea-formaldehyde particleboards. This study indicates that yemane can be successfully blended with flakes of other species to produce ureaformaldehyde particleboards to meet the requirements of Type 1 Standard Board. The good strength properties of urea-formaldehyde particleboards comprising the flakes of yemane, batai (Albiziafalcataria) and Acacia mangium indicate that these species are potential raw material for urea-formaldehyde particleboard manufacture. Key words : Yemane urea-formaldehyde particleboard. Introduction Yemane (Gmelina arborea), a fast growing tropical plantation tree species, has been selected as one of the species for the industrial tree plantation programme in Malaysia. It holds great promise as a potential source of timber for pulp and other purposes (Wong & Khoo 1980). The timber has excellent working properties. Although it has been tried for furniture, panelling and matches manufacture, no work has apparently been reported to date on its use for urea-formaldehyde particleboard (U-F board) manufacture. In this paper, we examine the potential of yemane as a source of raw material in the manufacture of medium density U-F board. Materials and methods Raw material Samples from two 12-year old yemane trees were collected from the plantations in 26 Kepong. The raw material used for boardmaking trials was from those sections of the

logs that were not used for peeling trials. Most of the samples were in the form of billets of short lengths, c. 30 cm. Density measurements on the wood samples were carried out. The billets were initially cut into 3 cmthick discs and further processed into chips of approximately 30 x 20 x 66 cm. These chips were then fed into a knife-ring flaker, with knives set to produce 0.6 mm thick flakes. As the flakes obtained from the knifering flaker were found to be of suitable dimensions for board-making, no further processing by the disintegrator was necessary. The flakes were dried to less than 5% moisture content before sieving to separate the fines from the flakes. Sieve analysis and bulk densities of the flakes were made.
Board-making Single-layer UF-boards

Measured quantities of flakes and fines sufficient for the production of 19 mm thick UF-boards of varying densities were sprayed in a Drais mixer with a resin mix containing urea formaldehyde (UF), hardener and water. The sprayed particles and fines with a controlled moisture content of 12% were laid in a wooden mould and pre-pressed at 3.5 kg/cm . The consolidated mat was finally pressed between two stainless steel caul plates in an electrically heated hydraulic press maintained at 160C for 8 min. Different sets of single-layer homogeneous UF-boards comprising yemane flakes and an equal amount of separately oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), keruing (Dipterocarpus spp.), industrial wood wastes and rubberwood (Hevea brasiliensis) were produced. In addition, a set of homogeneous UF-boards comprising equal amounts of

flakes of yemane, mangium and batai (A. falcataria) was produces.

Three-layer UF-boards

For three-layer UF-boards, the surface layers consisted of yemane flakes which accounted for 50% by weight of the material used for making each piece of UF-board. Different sets of UF-boards were made with the core layer comprising flakes from one of the following: oil palm, keruing, industrial wood wastes and rubberwood. The conditions of manufacture for the three-layer UF-boards were the same as that for the single-layer UF-boards. All the UF-boards were cut into test pieces and conditioned in a constant temperature and humidity room (20C and 65% relative humidity). Strength and dimensional stability tests were carried out according to B.S. 5669 : 1979 "Specification of wood-chipboard and methods of test for particleboards" (Anonymous 1979).
27

Results and discussion The particle classification of the flakes is as follows:

Sieve size (mm) <0.25 >0.25 >0.5 >1.0 >1.4 >2.0 >2.8 >3.4 >5.6 Weight (%) 2.2 2.8 8.5 9.9 12.3 12.9 7.2 22.8 21.4

The average bulk density of the yemane flakes was 69.2 g/l at 5% moisture content while the average density of the green wood of yemane was 430.0 g/l. Single-layer UF-boards Single-layer UF-boards of densities 481, 561 and 641 kg/m3 were produced. UFboards of densities around 700 kg/m3 gave blowing problems. This was also observed in the study of similar low density tropical hardwood species from Papua New Guinea (Iwashita 1980). Moslemi (1974) attributed the blowing problems to the interaction between mat moisture content and board and the particle densities during hot pressing. The quantity of particles in a certain volume of particle mat would increase with a decrease in the specific density of the raw material resulting in smaller openings for the steam flow within the particle mat during hot pressing. Consequently, a build-up of steam pressure occurs within the board and leads to blowing as steam is not sufficiently vented from the board. Hence it was not possible to produce UF-boards of density 700 kg/rn3 and above from wood species with densities lower than 0.5 g/ml. As a few UF-boards of density 700 kg/m3 produced from yemane showed similar blowing problems, no UF-boards of such density were available for evaluation. Previous studies of particleboards from batai (Wong & Ong, unpublished) and mangium (Chew & Jaaffar 1986) showed that their average wood densities are 0.24 and 0.41 g/ml, respectively. In the above studies, there were also blowing problems during particleboard making. Table 1 gives some of the strength and dimensional stability properties of single layer UF-boards manufactured from the yemane flakes, while Table 2 gives similar properties of both the local and commercial particleboards as well as the mean quality levels of the different types of boards stipulated in British Standards B.S. 5669 : 1979 (Anonymous 1979). All the experimental UF-boards with densities above 550 kg/m3 and resin contents in the range of 6 to 12% met the bending strength (MOR) requirement of Type I boards as specified in the British Standards B.S, 5669 : 1979 (Table 2). For the Internal Bond (IB) requirement, a minimum resin content of 8% and density of 640 kg/m3 for UF-boards are necessary; with a higher resin content of 10%, lower density UF-boards of slightly less than 600 kg/m3 could satisfy the IB of the British Standards. Increased resin content and board density considerably improved all the
28

Table 1 . Strength and dimensional stability properties of single layer UF boards from yemane

(Press temperature : 160 C; Pressing time : 8 min) Sample 2.8

Table 2 . Strength and dimensional stability properties of commercial particleboards and different types of particleboards stipulated in B.S. 5669 : 1979
Density
Malaysian commercial particleboard (a) 714 British commercial particleboard (b) 610 - 640 B.S. 5669 - 1979 (c) Type I* NA Type II* NA Type III* NA

(a) - Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (b) - Anonymous, 1969 (c) - British Standard Institution, 1979. Bending Strength Type I* Standard
Type II* Flooring Type III* Improved Moisture Resistance

NA - Not Available

thickness swellings and screw withdrawal values. All the UF-boards satisfied the screw withdrawal requirements and had thickness swelling values well below the stipulated maximum rate of 12% in the British Standards, with the exception of Sample A (board density 497 kg/m3 and 6% resin content, Table 1). Thus, to satisfy all requirements of Type I Standard Board, UF-boards must have a minimum density of 640 kg/m3 and 8% resin content. Table 3 gives the strength and dimensional stability properties of single-layer UFboards manufactured from equal amounts of yemane flakes and separately flakes from keruing, rubberwood, oil palm and industrial wood as well as from an admixture, comprising equal amounts of flakes of yemane, mangium and batai. All the experimental boards comprising flakes of yemane and other species met the requirements of Type I boards as specified in the British Standards. UF-boards comprising equal amounts of yemane, batai and mangium (Sample S) showed the highest strength values. Three-layer UF-boards Table 4 gives the properties of three layer UF-boards comprising flakes of yemane for the surface layers and flakes of other species for the core layer. All the experimental three layer UF-boards satisfied the requirements of Type I board, as specified in the British Standards. It is difficult, however, to specify which sample had the best properties because no sample displayed maximum or minimum values in all the dimensional stability and strength properties. Sample U (comprising industrial wood wastes), for example, gave the best internal bond, water absorption and thickness swelling values but lost out to sample W (comprising oil palm flakes) in bending strength and screw withdrawal. On the other hand, Sample V (comprising rubberwood flakes) showed the weakest internal bond, screw withdrawal and water absorption properties but was superior to Sample T (comprising keruing flakes) in the bending strength and thickness swelling values. Conclusions Yemane was found to be a suitable wood species for the manufacture of medium density UF-boards because single layer UF-boards with at least 8% resin content and density 640 kg/m3 met the requirements of Type I board, Standard Board, as specified in the British Standards, 5669 : 1979. Yemane could successfully be blended with flakes of other denser woods, for example, keruing (average density 0.80 g/ml) and

rubberwood (average density 0.64 g/ml), to produce standard medium density UFboards, either as homogeneous single layer UF-boards or three layer UF-boards.
31

Table 3 . Strength and dimensional stability properties of UF-boards of yemane and other species
(Press temperature : 160C; Pressing time : 8 min; Resin content :

Sample

References
ANONYMOUS. 1969. BS 1811 : Part 2. Methods of test for wood chipboard and other particleboard. British Standard Institution, London. ANONYMOUS. 1979. BS 5669 : 1979. Specification for wood chipboard and methods of test for particleboard. British Standard Institution, London. CHEW, L.T. & JAAFFAR AHMAD. 1968. "Particleboards from Acacia mangium". Proceedings of the Ninth Malaysian Forestry Conference,Kuching, Sarawak, 13-20 October, 1986. IWASHITA, M. 1980. Mixed tropical hardwood species from Papua New Guinea for raw materials of particleboard. Paper presented at IUFRO Division V Conference, Oxford, United Kingdom. MOSLEMI, A.A. 1974.Particleboard. Southern Illinois University Press, U.S.A. WONG, W.C. & Khoo, K.C. 1980. Gmelina arborea - A literature review, Forest Research Institute Report No. 14 34

Banglapedia in Bengali

Timber Tree any tree that produces wood of commercial importance. Wood is a material of plant origin characterised by fibrous structure and composed largely of lignin and cellulose. The high lignin content (25%) contributes unique rigidity to the structure and thus distinguishes wood from other plant materials. Woods are classified in two groups: softwood and hard wood. Softwood is derived from the gymnospermous (mainly coniferous) plants and hardwood is derived from angiospermous (mainly dicotyledonous) plants. Timber has versatile uses and plays a vital role in national economy. There are about 500 timber trees occurring in the forests and homesteads of Bangladesh. Most of them are hard woods except Podocarpus nerrifolius (banspata) which is the only softwood (gymnospermous wood) from Bangladesh. Some of the timber trees are as follows: Khair (Acacia catechu), Babla (A. nilotica), Kala koroi (A. lebbeck), Chatim (Alstonia scholaris), Boilam (Anisoptera scaphula), Itchri (Anogeissus acuminata), Kadam (Anthocephalus chinensis), Chapalish (Artocarpus chama), Kanthal (A. heterophyllus), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Shimul (Bombax ceiba), Kamdeb

(Calophyllum polyanthum), Batna (Castanopsis tribuloides), Barun (Crataeva magna), Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo), Garjan (Dipterocarpus alatus), Tellya garjan (D. turbinatus), Sil Bhadi (Garuga pinnata), Gamari (Gmelina arborea), Sundari (Heritiera fomes), Telsur (Hopea odorata), Sidha (Lagerstroemia parviflora), Am (Mangifera indica), Bakain (Melia azedarach), Champaful (Michelia champaca), Tali (Palaquium polyanthum), Batna (Quercus spicata), Bhobinut (Samanea saman), Sal (Shorea robusta), Dharmara (Sterospermum personatum), Mahogony (Swietenia macrophylla and S. mahagony), Civit (Swintonia floribunda), Jam (Syzygium cumini), Dhaki jam (Syzygium grande), Teak (Tectona grandis), Toon (Toona ciliata), Goda (Vitex peduncularis), Arsol (V. pinnata), Lohakat (Xylia kerrii), and Passur (Xylocarpus mekongensis). [Md Khairul Alam] Timber products Wood used in construction, furniture and paper pulp are all timbers and products produced or derived from them are timber products. Some monocotyledons produce woody stems, lack sapwood and heartwood, their products are specific eg bamboo products, cane products, etc. The products produced from the stems are often called timber products. Products produced/derived from woody parts of plants are termed as wood products. Products are source and origin oriented, all timbers are not suitable for all timber products or all purposes. Suitable timber species or timber parts are selected and judged from numerous variabilities for a specific product. Other products such as food, drink, oils, fibres, dyes, aromatics, cosmetics, medicines, plastics, resins, tannins, rayons, linens, rubbers, preservatives, insecticides, alkaloids, poisons, etc, produced from plants are called plant products or herbal products. Among available growing timber species about 40% would be exotic. All are hardwoods except endemic and endangered conifer-banspata (Podocarpus neriifolia, family Podocarpaceae) and recently introduced conifer-Caribbean Pine or Pole Pine or Bangladesh Pine (Pinus caribaea var. honduransis, family Panacea); these are especially suitable for wood poles and paper pulp but supply is very limited. Paper is actually cellulose extracted from plant materials; quality depends on fineness and brightness of fibres. Papers are produced from muli bamboo (Melocanna baccifera) in Karnafuli Paper Mill, from sugarcane bagasse (Saccharum officinarum) in Paksi Paper Mill, from Gewa timber of Sundarbans (Excoecaria agallocha) in Khulna Newsprint Mill, and from Nalkhagra (Phragmites karka) and Malakana Koroi (Albizia falcataria) in Sylhet Paper Mill. Recently green jute plant (Corchorus capsularis and C. olitorius) are being used for making pulp. Besides these, there are several small private paper industries in Bangladesh run by local, imported and recycling materials. When dense wood is crushed and compressed into board is called hard board which is used for making partitions, ceilings, etc. Such hard board is produced in Khulna Hard Board mill from Sundri Wood (Heritiera fomes). Thin slice of wood called veneer is used for making match boxes in different small industries in Bangladesh by using mainly Kadam (Anthocephalus

cadamba), Chhatim (Alstonia scholaris) and Simul (Salmalia malabaricum) timber. When large veneers of odd numbers are glued and compressed together into board, the product is called plywood. Generally low cost timbers are used for making plywood, several alternative species are also available in Bangladesh but not plenty. Plywoods are used for making flush doors, ceilings, partitions and packing boxes. These are produced by bangladesh forest industries development corporation (BFIDC) and other private organisations. Like plywood, a different type of board called particleboard or woodtex is also made from low cost wood particles. This product is also being manufactured by BFIDC. When prepared from particles of jute sticks, the product is called partex. It is prepared by M/S. Star Particle Board Industries. These boards are further decorated by covering with an attractive veneer produced mainly form Garjan (Dipterocarpus turbinatus) Teak or Shegun (Tectona grandis), Champa or Teak Chambul (Michelia champaca), Chapalish (Artocarpus chaplasha), Chickrosi (Chukrassia tabularis), etc. Usually low cost veneer is used for general purposes but for making attractive flush doors, tabletops, partitions, etc, attractive and expensive veneer of teak or teak chambul is used. These two species are highly priced due to their attractive grain, texture and figure. Teak Chambul is especially used for making veneer only. Throughout Bangladesh, besides composite timbers, solid woods are used for internal domestic works such as in making doors, windows, furniture, cabinet, panel works, etc, the timber species Teak, Chapalish, Chickrasi, Gamari (Gmelina arborea), Sil Koroi (Albizia procera), Jarul (Lagerstroemia speciosa) are extensively used. For agricultural implements and boat building, localized timbers are traditionally used. Teak, Jarul and Sundari are used for making quality boats and launches, and Babla wood (Acacia nilotica) is used for making ploughs and carts. Garjan (Dipterocarpus species) is widely used for many purposes but without preservative treatment it is not enough durable. The timber species Poa (Melia azadirach) is used for making musical instruments, and Gamari and Mehagoni are widely used for all small articles and toys because of their fine texture, workability and natural durability. The Rural Electrification Board (REB) is the largest consumer of preservative treated timber products. BFIDC is the only local producer of wood poles, produced from Sundari, Teak, Garjan, Civit and Tali; Debdaru and Kankra are also used to make poles. Electric meter boards and packings are prepared mainly from Mango, Rain tree, Kadam, Civit, Garjan and Bot woods (Ficus benghalensis); dozens of suitable timber species have been recently evaluated for these products. The Bangladesh Railway uses Garjan in making railway slippers; most of the wooden sleepers, however are imported. [Arun Kumar Lahiry]

Tell a friend:

Join

Banglapedia Mailing List

You are visitor no. Copyright Banglapedia 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Make fake snow. Mix sawdust with white paint and glue to cover holiday crafts with simulated snow. 2. Get a grip. Winter loggers spread sawdust on their truck paths. It provides traction and strengthens compacted snow while protecting the ground underneath. 3. Soak up spills. Keep a bucket handy for accidents. Sawdust is highly absorbent and can quickly contain spills of oil or paint. 4. Feed your plants. Sawdust mixed with manure or a nitrogen supplement keeps your plants healthy and moist, too. 5. Make a fire starter. Melt candle wax in a nonstick pot, add sawdust until the liquid thickens, pour into an empty egg carton, and let cool. Use the briquettes to help get a fire going. 6. Fill wood holes and defects. Used by professional floor refinishers, very fine sawdust or "wood flour" makes an excellent, stainable filler when mixed into a putty with wood glue. 7. Pack a path. Tamp sawdust into a dirt walkway to curtail erosion and create a soft, fragrant pathway through your garden or wooded lot. 8. Chase away weeds. Sawdust from walnut wood is a natural weed killer. Sweep this variety between the cracks of your walkway. 9. Lighten up cement. Sawdust mixed into mortar has long been used when erecting cordwood walls to aid in bonding the logs together. Do the same when casting lightweight vessels and moisture-loving planters. 10. Clean a floor. Moisten a pile of sawdust with water and use a push broom to sweep it around the concrete floor of your garage, basement, or shop. The wet sawdust will capture and absorb fine dust and grime.