Page 54 - FDMAsia MayJun 2025

52 MATERIALS MAY/JUN 2025 FDM ASIA | www.fdmasia.com

ENHANCING PERFORMANCE OF WOOD

PANEL THROUGH WASTE RECYCLING

The construction sector’s increasing eco-consciousness is driving the need for higher-performance
wood-based engineered products from underutilised timber resources. Strand-based products,
including oriented strand board (OSB) and lumber (OSL), are widely used. However, hot-pressing
during their manufacturing generates approximately 10 percent waste. As the market grows,
understanding the recyclability of these resinated strands becomes crucial. By Avishek Chanda,
Muhammad Khusairy Bin Bakri, Rajan Adhikari and Vikram Yadama, Washington State University

he wood industry has strategically capitalised on the biofuels, and nanocellulose. Natural fibre composites (NFCs)
abundance of small-diameter timber and forest thinning have seen significant adoption due to their advantages over

Tresidues in US and European forests, leading to the synthetic fibres, including lower weight and cost, abundance,
development of oriented strand board (OSB) and lumber (OSL). reduced energy consumption, and safer handling.
Strand-based composite materials offer lightweight, high- These advantages and interests have resulted in NFCs
performance alternatives for structural applications. successfully penetrating many markets including aerospace,
While wood-based composites have a long history, recent medical, automotive, food, electronics, and building materials.
industrial advancements have focused on industrial chemicals, Due to their sustainability, reduced carbon dioxide (CO2)

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