Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a hard wood strand product, comprising the steps of harvesting logs of eucalypts from plantation trees having an age between 8 years and 12 years, forming strands from the logs, adding a binder including a polymeric methane di-isocyanate resin and a wax to the strands, forming a mat with the strands, and pressing and heating the mat using a press to form the strand product.

Description:
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 10/597,259, filed Sep. 5, 2006, incorporated herein by reference, which is a filing under 35 USC 371 of PCT/AU2004/001756, filed Dec. 15, 2004. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to hardwood products and particularly but not only to strand lumber and board products formed from eucalypts. 
     A number of man made timber products are known including particle board (PB), medium density fibreboard (MDF), plywood, laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and oriented strand board (OSB). 
     Particle board lacks sufficient strength for most structural uses. Plywoods require veneer sheets from relatively high grade logs. MDF products have a number of uses but generally lack structural strength and moisture resistance. OSB and LVL products have a broad range of uses but also suffer from a relatively low resistance to moisture. Their structural strength and holding capacity for fastenings is also directional. 
     LVL is an adaptation of old technology from the plywood industry and is similarly reliant on old or larger diameter trees, typically 40 years old or more, and around 500 mm in diameter. This provides a relatively low conversion rate from log to LVL product. 
     Laminated strand lumber (LSL) is another man made timber product but is based on softwoods such as aspen and yellow poplar. These species grow relatively rapidly and this product has also found commercial use as a construction lumber. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved strand lumber or board product formed from one or more hardwoods or at least to provide an alternative to existing products. 
     In one aspect the invention may be said to reside in a strand lumber or board product including substantially aligned strands of one or more eucalypts species bonded together with a binder including an isocyanate or phenolic resin. 
     In a preferred embodiment the eucalypt species are Bluegum ( E. Globulus ), Karri ( E. Diversicolor ), Sydney Bluegum ( E. Saligna ), Marri ( E. Calophylla ) or Jarrah ( E. Marginata ), and the binder includes a polymeric methane di-isocyanate (PMDI) resin. The binder preferably also includes a wax such as a paraffin emulsion. 
     Preferably the strands have an average length of between 145 mm and 180 mm, an average width of about 10 to 25 mm, and an average thickness of between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. Preferably at least 70% of the strands are fully aligned. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF FIGURE 
       Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which schematically shows a method of forming a strand lumber product. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawing it will be appreciated that the invention can be implemented in a variety of different products for a range of purposes. The process outlined here is based on the Siempelkamp ContiRoll™ system and is given by way of example only. Other processes for manufacturing strand lumber or board products may also be suitable. 
     As shown in the drawing, the process begins with harvested logs of the genus eucalyptus and perhaps other similar hard wood logs  10 . The preferred eucalypt species are Bluegum ( E. Globulus ), Karri ( E. Diversicolor ), Sydney Bluegum ( E. Saligna ), Marri ( E. Calophylla ) or Jarrah ( E. Marginata ). In the case of plantation trees such as Bluegum ( E. Globulus ) and Sydney Bluegum ( E. Saligna ) the trees are preferably around 8 to 12 years old and have a diameter of around 150 to 200 mm. In the case of forest thinnings such as Karri ( E. Diversicolor ), Mani ( E. Calophylla ) or Jarrah ( E. Marginata ) the trees are preferably less than 30 years old and less than 400 mm diameter. Single species may be used in a particular product or multiple species may be combined. 
     The logs are debarked  11  before passing through a strander  12 . A ring strander is typically used to cut logs of fixed or random length into strands of a specified length, width and thickness. The strands are preferably formed with a length of about 145 mm to 180 mm, a width of about 10 to 25 mm and a thickness of about 0.5 to 1.5 mm. 
     The strands are dried  13  to preferably less than 5% moisture and are then classified in sieves  14  according to product specifications. A bin  16  holds the dried and classified strands until required. 
     Waste bark or rejected strands and fines provide the fuel for a heat plant  15  that generates heat for the drier and other parts of the process. About 70% of the original logs can be used to form product. Most of the remaining 30% can be used in the heat plant. 
     From bin  16  the strands are conveyed on demand to a resin blender  17  in which resin and wax are added in required proportions, typically about 6 to 10% of dry matter and 2% of dry matter respectively. The mixed strand resin and wax is known as “furnish” and is held in a holding bin  18 . 
     The preferred resin is an isocyanate binder such as polymeric methane di-isocyanate (PMDI). Phenolic or other resins might also be used but generally have less favourable properties. The preferred wax is a paraffin emulsion such as Mobilcer™ available from Mobile Australia, or similar products available from Dynea and Oest. Other additives such as pesticides, fungicides and fire retardants can be added at this point and mixed to ensure uniform distribution throughout the finished product matrix. 
     From bin  18 , the furnish is supplied to a mat former  19  where the strands are aligned and deposited to form a mat of the required mass. A combination of alignment and mass controls the mechanical properties of the mat produced. The strands are formed in substantially aligned or unidirectional arrangement. Typically at least 70% of the strands are aligned. Some board products may require a central layer with strands aligned perpendicular to top and/or bottom layers. 
     The mat then passes a checking station  20  which carries out weight, moisture and metal detection. Any rejected material is conveyed either as waste to the heat plant or set aside for special processing. 
     Mats which pass the checking station are passed through a preheating station prior to the continuous press  21  to form billets or boards, typically around 30 to 90 mm in thickness for billets and around 8 to 30 mm thickness for boards, all up to 2.7 m wide and 15 m long. The press heats the material to above 100° C. for at least 1 minute. The billets are cooled  22  and trimmed  23  and/or sawn  24  into construction timber products. 
     A product formed from eucalypts using a process of this kind can be manufactured with full structural rating, and free of knots, bow, twist and wane. The density profile of the material is also substantially uniform. It may in the case of the board product be suitable for uses such as flooring, concrete formwork, decking material and in the case of lumber for structural wood products such as beams and columns, headers and lintels, joists and rafters, walls, studs and plates, and joinery products for example. 
     The product has been demonstrated to provide a number of advantages over most other softwood and hardwood products. It exhibits a high surface soundness, moisture resistance and shows a low swell rate in the presence of moisture. Additionally, the screw and nail holding performance is high in all planes. 
     Test products using Bluegum ( E. Globulus ) logs and Karri ( E. Diversicolor ), thinnings had the following characteristics:
     1. Modulus of elasticity of around 14,000 N/mm 2  for Bluegum and 20,000 N/mm 2  for Karri.   2. Swell of less than 2% in a standard 24 hour moisture swell test for both products.   3. An internal bond strength of 1.21 N/mm 2 .   4. High screw and nailing performance in all planes.   5. Uniform density profile.   6. A surface soundness of 2.42 N/mm 2 .
 
These characteristics, particularly the modulus of elasticity are substantially better than those of alternative products, such as Radiata glulam, Douglas fir glulam, Hyspan LVL and MGP12 Pine, for which the moduli are around 12,500 N/mm 2 , 13,500 N/mm 2 , 13,500 N/mm 2  and 12,700 N/mm 2  respectively, for example.
   

     The foregoing describes only a limited number of product embodiments and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.