A company in south Australia is testing whether a process similar to creating strandwoven bamboo could also work to create hardwood.
The process would take mill waste wood, like thinnings, and apply extreme pressure to create hardwood that is as strong as a traditional wood product while being cheaper at the same time, said 3RT Holdings Chairman Albert Goller in a two-part interview with ABC in Adelaide, Australia.
Unlike strand woven bamboo and other engineered wood products, the wood is fused together with a patented water-based glue that contains no formaldehyde or other potentially harmful chemicals, Goller said.
Without formaldehyde adhesives, the wood can be recycled or burned after it’s no longer needed, making the product environmentally friendly, Goller said.
The product would also cut down on the amount of waste produced in the milling process. Typically, according to Goller, a mill uses only around 30 percent of a tree. Applying 3RT’s strand technology would allow mills to use 80 percent of the tree, he said.
The process has not been tested commercially yet. The Australian government recently awarded 3RT with a $994,000 ($737,000 USD) grant, which the company will use to create a commercial milling facility.
If the market accepts the product, Goller said the applications are limitless.
“It’s unbelievable, the opportunities,” he said.
