The Use of Demolition Wood in Papermaking

The reason for this study came from three factors affecting the paper industry as well as society as a whole. These factors are decreasing landfill space, increasing tipping fees, and increasing demands for alternative fiber sources. In the United States, approximately 9.8 million tons of demolition wood waste is landfilled per year. Increasing governmental regulations which require greater amounts of secondary fiber to be used in papermaking are forcing the industry to consider alternative fiber options. The seven steps in the procedure include: rough wood, wood chips, kraft pulping, fiber refining, screening, handsheets, and testing. The four types of wood involved are a 50 year old house wood, a 100 year old barn wood, a kiln-dried wood, and a red pine green wood. All wood types are pine. The strength test (tensile, burst, tear) revealed that demolition wood fiber is strong enough to be considered as a secondary fiber source. The average value obtained for tear from the demolition wood is 13.7 (mN m2/g). The average values for burst and tensile are 20.3 psi and 4.18 km, respectively. In fact, the values obtained from the old wood are comparable to those obtained by Kleppe for a green wood pine(4). Drawbacks to its use include containment removal, probable bleaching limitations, obtaining the wood, and labor/energy requirements. The resource may best be utilized by having a demolition company deliver the wood, pulp, screen, and refine the wood separately, and have the fibers metered in at know quantities at the blend chest within the paper mill. Ultimately the use of this source becomes a function of society\u27s focus on the green movement and regulations imposed on the industry by the government