September 27, 2007

British Columbia university student finds use for mountain pine beetle wood

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C.

A student researcher at the University of Northern B.C. in Prince George has come up with a possible solution on what can be done with the billions of trees killed by the mountain pine beetle.

Sorin Pasca, a master’s degree student in natural resources and environmental studies, found that mountain pine beetle wood works as “an excellent ingredient for producing concrete,” which is usually made by mixing cement with water and aggregate.

“Usually the aggregate consists of stones or rocks, but mountain pine beetle wood is a new option,” said Pasca.

“Normally, cement repels organic materials such as wood, but for some reason cement sticks to lodgepole pine and this compatibility is even stronger when the tree has been killed, or you could say, enhanced by the mountain pine beetle.”

The original idea was to see if a wood-cement product could be a replacement for drywall or gypsum board.

But now that the research is complete, Pasca sees all kinds of additional applications from countertops to flooring and tiles.

“It’s a beautiful product that combines all the structural advantages of concrete with the esthetic quality of wood,” said Pasca, who used the research to write his master’s thesis.

His research involved the use of three sizes of wood chips and three combinations of wood-to-cement ratios.

The mixtures were created in the lab, poured into mould and left to cure.

“What emerged were boards that looked like a cross between plywood and concrete.

“You can drive a nail into them without pre-drilling. You can cut them with regular working tools.

“They’re water resistant and stronger than many similar products on the market,” Pasca said.

Dr. Ian Hartley, UNBC associate dean of graduate programs, said samples of the product have been taken to designers and architects in Vancouver.

“They are excited about the product. In fact one told us, ‘You have no idea what you have done,’” said Hartley.

The next step is “getting together a manufacturing plant in Prince George where we want the product to remain,” said Hartley, who indicated the university is interested in talking to potential investors.

The research results were announced to coincide with National Forestry Week, Sept. 23 to 29.

This research is of tremendous value to the forest industry, which is seeking alternative products to complement production of dimension lumber, plywood, pellets and strand board, Hartley said.

Research shows that because beetle wood begins to crack shortly after it dies, many parts of the trees are no longer useful to mills that produce regular products, but this new product has a use for the wood chips.

“The whole issue of how we can maximize each tree is vital to industry. This research has produced a new product that deserves further investigation,” said Hartley, an expert in wood quality who participated in the research.

Other UNBC research is exploring the shelf life of beetle wood, beetle genetics, their adaptability to other wood species such as spruce, the link to climate change, and the prospect of using pine trees to produce ethanol.

Canadian Press

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