Innovative, environment/product-friendly, raw material-saving wood bleaching/mark-removing processes and additives ( for veneers, rotary veneers, rotary veneers, plywood, blockwood)

Objective

Following preliminary investigations the main group of proposers for this research, ARESPAN (Italy) and PANGUANETA (Italy), found that the company SAINT PETER s.r.l. (Italy), had considerable experience in peroxides and know-how relating to the bleaching of`polymeric materials, this research company was persuaded to participate in the project. The idea was to transfer the experience in the resins field to the wood sector, and to eliminate all the environmental health and technological risks which are encountered with conventional bleaching and mark-removal systems (using hydrogen peroxide concentrated to 130 volumes, peroxides, hypochlorites or other chloride compounds which are : dangerous, explosive, corrosive, harmful or toxic). Even though the steps torward to be made are considerable, it is believed that a solution to all these problems can realistically be found in 18 months of research Saint Peter has also accepted to become the project coordinator. Numerous companies have been contacted during the preliminary phase and 4 of these have been selected to take part in the project : VAN HOUT a leader in the production of veneers : HARIPAN a medium-small beech plywood producer; LOSAN, a leading company in the production of equatorial and European wood veneered particle-board; and NEOTRON. a large environmental analyses laboratory, which will carry out a complementary function to Saint Peter's.SECTORS : The research aims to use innovative molecules to generate a non-toxic, harmless process for bleaching (rendering light) and removing marks from veneers, rotary veneers and reconstructed wood (plywood, blockwood, mdf, hdt) OBJECTIVES: INDUSTRIAL : to produce manufactured articles from reconstructed wood treated by Saint Peter's innovative bleaching/mark-removing agents (products and processes) with limited modifications to industrial plant and no loss of productivity, with considerable savings on wood (up to 25 %) depreciated by deep marks (due to insects and fungi), and to be able to use and give a homogeneous. appearance to lower than top quality European woods. ECONOMIC : recent market research confirms the constant growth in the demand for bleached and markless wood; the wood industry is thus looking for bleaching/mark-removing agents which are non-toxic and harmless, and which respect the work environment and the atmosphere and release no substances which are harmful for the end-user. Our research aims to provide manufactured articles which have no marks and a lighter bleached colour, and which achieve social, technical and environmental targets, while keeping down the costs of the products and processes used at the level of the toxic and dangerous alternatives currently available on the market, thereby gaining considerable quotas of the market.SOCIAL : to create new market niches in order to maintain or raise sales and thus safeguard or even increase jobs. The proposed bleaching technology must solve considerable health problems caused by the technologies used today.TECHNICAL : to obtain full certification attesting to the fact that the emissions in the work environment and in the atmosphere are below the levels required by law in the various European countries. No worsening of the technical characteristics of the manufactured articles is to result. ENVIRONMENTAL : to develop fully harmless bleaching/mark-removing processes and products which are environment-friendly in contrast to the processes used today which are dangerous (danger of fire, explosion, environmental pollution, and ot health problems for operators and end-users).PROPOSALS FOR ACHIEVING THE OBJECTIVES : A start is considered to have been made on understanding new mechanisms which explain bleaching and to which categories of substances the marks belong, and it is believed that much more diluted chemical solutions (as much as 1/4 of current concentrations) can be used, and that by a balanced use of stabilizing and decomposing agents and the careful employment of penetrating agents, the technology can be rendered fully safe

Programme(s)

• FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998

Topic(s)

• 0102 - Development of clean production technologies

Funding Scheme

Coordinator

Participants (6)