Composite wood products from solvent extracted wood raw materials
AssigneeNorth Pacific Paper Corporation
InventorsJerry R. Speaks, Roger O. Campbell, Michael A. Veal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Wood products of superior strength are produced from wood particulates that have been extracted with a solvent to remove volatile organic compounds and a significant proportion of pitch from the wood particulates. The products are especially resistant to weakening caused by water immersion. As a consequence of the enhanced strength and stiffness of the composites, wood products may be made tier, and of lighter weight, for the same equivalent strength and stiffness at lower cost. The processes of drying the particulate raw material and forming the composite wood products, by subjecting to heat and pressure, are virtually free from emissions of volatile organic compounds into the environment.
Claims16
A composite wood product comprising:
- solvent extracted wood particulates embedded in a matrix of a binder comprising a hardened thermosetting resin, the extracted wood particulates having significantly reduced pitch content as compared to the natural pitch content of the wood and the extracted wood particulates, before incorporation into the wood product, having minimally reduced cellulose and lignin content thereby retaining structural integrity so that strength of the composite is not reduced in comparison to a composite of wood chips with naturally occurring levels of pitch.
A composite wood product comprising:
- wood particulates of reduced pitch content and reduced volatile organic compounds content, as compared to naturally-occurring concentrations of pitch and volatile organic compounds in wood, the extracted wood particulates having minimally reduced lignin and cellulose content so that structural integrity of the particulates is maintained and the strength of the composite is not reduced in comparison to composites of wood particulates with naturally-occurring levels of pitch and volatile organic compounds;
- and a binder bonding the wood particulates together into a unitary composite wood product.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.