The construction sector needs high-performance wood-based panels in its drive towards sustainable buildings. These needs can be met in Sweden with repurposing of sawdust currently used for combustion. Added functionality and better manufacturing processes not depending on conventional resins can provide extra benefit to the environmental credentials of the sector, whilst fulfilling industry needs. Thus, this proposal will include the following key aspects:
• Develop a construction panel based on sawdust.
• Avoid the use of synthetic adhesives – ionic liquids to be used instead.
• Added-value: fire retardants, dimensional stabilisation, hydrophobicity – to be incorporated via an ionic-liquid treatment.
• Increased environmental aspect – circularity of product, which can be recycled/reused at the end of its service life or fractionated into its constituent components, with minimal processing (as opposed to energy intensive processes for resin removal).
Participants
Holmen AB, Norra Skog and Luleå University of Technology.
Budget & time plan
The project’s total budget is 5 MSEK and the project runs during 24 months – between June 2022 and June 2024.