Continuous densification of solid wood – The belt press approach

The densification, i.e., transverse compression of solid wood can lead to improvements in the mechanical properties, and this can expand the areas of application for low-density wood species. For the past one hundred years, many efforts have been made to mass-produce densified wood products, but despite being available on the market, they remain niche products with low annual production volumes. One of the main reasons for this is that all available densified wood products are produced in a batch-type process, which limits the achievable process speed and integration into the continuous wood processing chain. For this reason, we propose a continuous surface densification process using a bespoke belt press – similar in principle to those used to produce MDF panels. The belt-press is capable of densifying full-sized wood boards at processing speeds of up to 60 m min-1. The primary belt for densification can be heated to temperatures above 160°C, while a subsequent belt functions as a cooling stage. During the densification process, the belt press can log the pressing forces, moments, and temperature. Preliminary tests with Scots pine specimens of 120 mm in width and 38 mm in thickness resulted in a twofold increase in peak density, after a pressing time of two minutes at 120°C. The resulting density profiles were similar to those obtained in studies using a static hot press. As the belt press can be fed with a continuous stream of boards, it has a higher net throughput than a static hot press. Further studies continue with the aim to evaluate different aspects relevant to the large-scale industrial production of densified wood products.Funder: Luleå University of Technology, CT Wood