| | The LSU AgCenter is building an exhibition house on the LSU campus to showcase improved home construction techniques. Called "LaHouse," it features hurricane-resistant, energy-efficient and termite-resistant construction methods. (Photo by Mark Claesgens) |
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| | The Louisiana Forest Products Development Center attempts to keep a database of wood products industries in Louisiana. This is an ongoing project. There are about 1,300 companies including about 150 primary manufacturers. (Photo by Rich Vlosky) |
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| | Qinglin Wu, left, and Richard Vlosky are two of the scientists at the Forest Products Development Center. |
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By far, Louisiana’s biggest agricultural industry is forestry, which contributed nearly $4.9 billion to the state’s economy in 2006. We’re a state rich in forested lands. But these trees are even more valuable if after they’re cut, they stay in Louisiana and are made into products here, rather than being shipped some place else. The LSU AgCenter is working to use these trees to fuel further economic development in the state.
Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
The Louisiana Forest Products Development Center is the hub of research on adding value to the forestry industry, which means contributing to the economy beyond just the profit from cutting trees. Although the value-added income to the forestry sector has averaged about 72 percent of the entire income associated with the industry, higher than any other agricultural industry, there is still room for improvement.
This center is headquartered on the LSU campus and part of the School of Renewable Natural Resources. In addition to faculty on campus, there are extension faculty located across the state who work with the forestry industry and coordinate activities with the center. The center is unique in that it also coordinates projects with Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La. Following are some of the activities of the center.
Recycling Treated Wood
Recycling treated wood is an area of research with potential for economic development. Disposal of used preservative-treated wood has increasingly become a major concern. Incinerating this wood or taking it to landfills are options becoming more costly and impractical because of regulatory requirements and environmental concerns.
For example, chromated copper arsenate (CCA) had been the primary preservative used to treat most wood intended for residential use in the United States before 2004. Although CCA is no longer used to treat lumber for residential uses, it still comprises a significant percentage of treated wood coming out of service. Therefore, there is a need for an economically viable and environmentally friendly method of dealing with decommissioned CCA-treated wood.
The LSU AgCenter has refined three methods of recycling treated wood that are technically feasible, environmentally friendly and economically sound. The goal is to conduct further research and move these techniques into the private sector for business development:
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Making composite poles from used wood products is a technique that’s been around for a long time. These poles are used in the telephone and utility industry. The LSU AgCenter has perfected the techniques for making these composite poles and developed a way to taper these poles, which makes them more esthetically pleasing and thus more marketable.
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Though the technique for liquefying wood has been around since the 1970s, the LSU AgCenter has taken this technique a step further and developed a way to liquefy CCA-treated wood. The wood is ground and liquefied in the presence of an organic solvent. This process uses relatively low temperature, short reaction time and small amounts of organic reagents. The results can include chemicals originally used in the preservative as well as nontoxic liquefied wood that can be used for resins, molded wood products, foams and plastics.
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A third process being perfected at the LSU AgCenter combines heat and water to create super critical water, which is used to detoxify and recycle preservative-treated wood. Research has shown this method can detoxify any preservative-treated wood and transform creosote-treated wood into a mixture of hydrocarbon and other chemical compounds useful in industry.
Creating Wood-based Composites from Waste
Structural wood-based composites, such as oriented strand board (OSB), are gaining increased use in both residential and commercial applications. “Composites are the future of the wood products industry,” said Rich Vlosky, director of the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center.
These composites are used as sheathing, flooring and I-joist materials, for example. With continuing production growth and decreasing wood supply, the cost of wood fibers used to manufacture OSB has more than doubled in the past 20 years. Thus, development of alternative material to replace wood fibers for OSB and other strand composite production is of great practical significance.
LSU AgCenter scientists have been successful in creating structural wood-based composites, such as oriented strand board (OSB), from agricultural byproducts including bagasse from sugarcane and rice hulls. These structural wood-based products have been shown to have characteristics superior to more traditional products for residential and commercial construction. They also help meet a growing need for construction materials as the wood supply continues to decline in some areas.
A recent study indicates that comrind, another byproduct from the sugarcane industry, can be successfully made into wood-based composites. Comrind represents high-quality fibers in the outer layer of the cane stalk. Comrind can be extracted at a commercial production scale through a cane separation process. The goal of this research is to get this product into production, which will add value to the sugarcane industry and provide another needed product for the residential and commercial construction business.
Workshops for Industry
A major goal of the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center is continuing education for the forestry industry in an effort to spur economic development. One of the most popular workshops is the annual wood-drying workshop held in the laboratories at the center.
“We attract people from throughout the United States,” said Todd Shupe, associate professor who teaches these workshops. “We get veteran kiln operators and people wanting to get into the business.”
Wood must be properly dried before it can be successfully used in wood products. Louisiana is sorely lacking in wood drying capability. But this is improving, thanks to these workshops.
Other popular workshops involve business development and marketing. Please contact Vlosky for more information on these and other upcoming events.
Virtual Networking and Education
In addition to hands-on workshops, the center also provides continuing education virtually through Web sites. These include www.Laforestproducts.org, which is an interactive Web site and includes information about forestry industries and how to contact them – primary manufacturers, secondary manufacturers, engineered wood products, equipment manufacturers and distributors, and logging and harvesting.
There are about 1,300 wood products industries in Louisiana with about 150 of them being primary manufacturers.
Another Web site with helpful information is Extension Natural Resources Program.
Extension Program
Louisiana’s four forestry agents are located out-state and within easy reach for consultation and education about the forest industry. They are:
Brian Chandler
Barry Crain
Steve Hotard
Ricky Kilpatrick
The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions of higher education in the Louisiana State University System. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, it provides educational services in every parish and conducts research that contributes to the economic development of the state. The LSU AgCenter does not grant degrees nor benefit from tuition increases. The LSU AgCenter plays an integral role in supporting agricultural industries, enhancing the environment, and improving the quality of life through its 4-H youth, family and community programs.
(This AgCenter Lead was updated on May 22, 2007, by Linda Benedict.)