Felicia Brooks tests 3 criteria in science fair project that addresses issues in thermal modification technology to understand if British Columbia pine beetle wood can be used as a more sensible and environmental choice for wood products requiring durability.

Felicia won best overall in her category of earth and environmental sciences.  She was also awarded best overall project of the entire exhibition for grades 4 – 6 and won the Integris Credit Union award for community enhancement of $250.

Brooks’ science fair project tackles issues with wood, mainly durability and stain performance.  Her project describes how mountain pine beetle wood, through thermal modification, compares to natural pine beetle wood, cedar wood, and pressure-treated wood.  Ultimately she analyzes which is more environmentally-friendly and sustainable.

Her project comprised of three tests: a stain performance test, 24-hour soak test, and a timed water absorption test.  In each of these tests she prepared equally sized boards by planing them to same thickness and sawing them to same width.  All boards had equal dimensions and Brooks recorded her analysis and results.

In each of these tests Brooks prepared equally sized boards by planing them to same thickness and sawing them to same width.

The stain performance test involved picking each of the boards and staining them with the same amount of stain.  A stopwatch was used to measure the time it took the stain on each of the boards to dry and soak in.  After the stain was dry, each board was studied to see  if an extra coat was needed.  Thermally modified wood won the best overall mark on this test as it did not require an additional coat.

The 24-hour soak test measured performance on water absorption.  This test was chosen to measure water absorption because that often has a negative impact on wood durability.  As Brooks said: “In this test you do not want it to absorb much water because if it absorbs a lot it will warp, cup, swell, and rot.”  The test involved measuring dimensions of each of the wooden boards, weighing them on a scale, and dipping them into a bucket with water for a period of 24 hours.  After that, the wood was removed to see how much water it had absorbed.  “Thermally Modified wood was the best in this test because it did not absorb a lot of water” said Brooks.

The timed water absorption test involved using a syringe to drop water onto boards and time it using a stopwatch to determine how long the boards took to soak up the water.  “In this test you do not want it to soak in quickly because if the wood is on a deck you don’t want the water to soak in fast when it rains because then it will warp, cup, swell and rot quicker which means you will have to change your deck more often. Thermally Modified was the best in this test because the water took the longest to soak in the wood.”

Brooks won best overall project in the grades 4
- 6 for the entire exhibition.  There were about 68 projects in her age group.

In the end Brooks says this is good news for our community.  “We have a lot of mountain pine beetle killed pine in our area we can Thermally Modify pine which makes it look similar to cedar and is not as expensive as cedar. Thermally Modified Wood is also more environmentally as there are no chemicals added and sustainable in our area because we have an abundance of natural pine.  Thermally modified wood out performed all the other wood types in all my tests.  You should use Thermally Modified Wood to build your next project.”

It is no mystery that the recent outbreak of mountain pine beetle has affected British Columbia forests and will continue for the following years as it continues to consume many more millions of hectares of forest lands.

Mountain pine beetles successfully kill trees by laying eggs into pine bark and transmitting blue-stain fungi.  This blue-stain fungus in the tree’s sapwood prevents the tree from fighting back the beetle using pitch flow.  Ultimately the fungus blocks nutrient and water flow within the tree until the tree turns red and eventually dies.  The beetles then move to other trees and the cycle starts all over again.

Pictured above are British Columbia lodgepole pine trees killed by the mountain pine beetle.  Without new products and technologies that drive demand for products made from blue-stained wood, these trees are just left to rot, carbon stored in the wood is released back into the atmosphere, and the resources are lost.

Although many customers frown upon the appearance of a blue or grayish stain on their wood, fortunately the wood’s strength is not adversely affected by the blue-stain fungi.  If the wood is harvested sufficiently on time, the wood quality is just as good as a harvested ‘healthy tree’ that was harvested normally.  Many companies try to recover the value from this pine beetle wood, mainly because it is perfectly good wood and because by doing so, the carbon is trapped in the wood for decades in the form of products instead of being released back into the atmosphere as it rots.

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Blue-stained fungi carried by mountain pine beetle does not adversely affect wood strength but wood must be harvested early enough.

SeasonWood utilizes a new European technology that is called thermal modification.  Originated in Europe because wood in Europe is expensive and longevity is imperative, this technology works by subjecting wood to steam and high temperatures to produce a darker, more durable, and more stable wood product.

Thermal modification has been used in mountain pine beetle killed trees to produce many products.  The blue-stain left by the fungi is virtually masked by the darkening from thermal modification, and the enhanced durability and stability properties of thermally modified wood seriously challenge the properties of species such as western red cedar.  By taking commodity lumber and modifying it using green technologies, SeasonWood provides customers with a sustainable, chemical-free, and affordable alternative for great wood products.  SeasonWood has utilized thermally mountain pine beetle stock to produce beautiful lumber for thermally modified decking, siding, and various other outdoor products requiring durability, stability, and a visually appealing characteristic.

To learn more, please contact us here or please call us at 604-615-2812

If wood is ready to go in as the other load is removed, kiln downtime will be reduced

15.       Keep records of initial moisture content and wood temperature – This data (along with wood thickness, species, etc) can then be used to support statistical analysis to forecast future processing times.  This also helps with production scheduling particularly when different sized, different wood species are required.  With so many variables such as species, thickness, initial temperature, initial moisture content, surface quality, etc, you need as much data as possible to plan for the processing schedule priority during peak demand periods when the ThermoWood ^TM kiln is operating at 100%.

16.       Analyze wood boards before and after for quality control – Before the wood is modified, take photographs of wood to compare the quality of the wood before and after being processed.  After the modification process is completed, cut sample boards to determine if modification is affecting internal checking and if so, to what degree.  The boards should be cut at an angle to see if the checks can be found.  Depends on whether checking occurred or was amplified on the wood, the drying phase can be modified in the future.  If checks are found then the drying phase might be carried too rapidly.  This would require slowing the process down.  If no checks are present you may be able to speed the process up without adverse effects.

When analyzing boards for checking it is always good practice to inspect wood before it is thermally modified and after, so as to confirm that there if there is checking post-modification it is not from pre-existing internal checks.

17.       Remoisturize wood to keep it from becoming too brittle – The patented ThermoWood process has the thermally modified wood reheated to pull moisture back into the wood. If the wood is too brittle or is checking afterwards this phase needs to be modified.

18.       Block partial loads at ends to maintain consistent air velocity and flow through the load – Quality consistency of thermally modified wood within the same batch and on to the next requires strict control of air flow.  If the air flow is consistent and even across the load then the temperature can rise evenly and this will be noted by your heat sensors.

19.       Sticker wood within the plane of the loading cart – Place stickers that extend from width to width of the load but not beyond the width of the cart.  Stickers that extend past the width of the load can cause interference when the cart is being loaded into your wood thermal modification kiln.  Also ensure that lumber does not extend past the length of the cart or you might now be able to close the thermal modification kiln door.

Ensure wood does not extend past the width or length of the cart or interference might occur when entering the kiln or closing the door.

20.       Invest in quality stickers – It is best to use aluminum stickers as these will not stain the wood as much as wooden stickers.  If aluminum stickers are out of your budget, use wooden stickers.  Do not use plastic stickers as these will melt from the high temperatures experienced inside the kiln.

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Aluminum stickers are more durable and also do not stain the wood during thermal modification.

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9.       Watch where you drill holes for heat sensors in the wood – The closer the sensor is to the center of the wood board (thickness and width) the better.  Heat sensors are 3-4 inches in length, so if you drill a 3-4 inch sensor hole perpendicular to the length of wood only 5 inches wide, you won’t get the temperature at the center of the wood.  Drilling diagonal holes for longer heat sensors allow the tip of the sensor to be close to the center of the wood.  See picture.

10.       Invest in a well-designed non-corrosive heavy weight – Adding weight on top of the wood is a requirement in any thermal modification kiln.  However, it is important to note that this weight will take up space in the kiln where more wood could be thermally modified.  Invest in a good design weight which is heavy for the volume in the kiln it occupies.  This will allow for more wood to be loaded in the kiln to modify per cycle.  A well-designed weight will also help reduce setup time as it will most likely incorporate holes in its design so a forklift can insert its forks to lift it onto the wood.  Depending on the variation of your processed wood, it might be worth investing in a 2 or 3 piece weight to accommodate varying lengths of wood.  A non-corrosive stainless, galvanized or anodized weight will also last longer given the conditions this weight will be exposed to.  Generally speaking, a well-designed weight jig can improve kiln cooking capacity of about 5-10% in addition to reducing setup requirements and time.

11.       Have dedicated loading and unloading areas – To speed up loading and unloading of wood.  Set up one side of the kiln as the waiting space for wood to be loaded into the kiln and the other side as area to unload the outgoing thermally modified wood.  Wood coming out of the kiln should already have a space waiting for it.  There should also be wood waiting to go into the kiln soon as it is emptied.  Having assigned locations to quickly unload and load wood saves on setup time.  The objective is to not waste kiln time.

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Thermally modified birch (left), mountain pine beetle wood on cart going into kiln (center), next load (right).  Next batch is ready to go in as soon as the thermally modified load is unloaded from cart.

12.       Have the tools ready – In any event where a sensor falls off or a pre-drilled hole cannot be found to insert the sensor, having the tools to quickly drill a hole or insert a sensor will minimize kiln downtime.

13.       Stock plenty of drill bits – Drill bits break often.  However they are inexpensive to replace compared to the cost of kiln downtime.  It is worthwhile to have plenty in stock to avoid halting the whole modification operation due to a stock out of drill bits.  Keep some for the moisture and some for the temperature sensors.

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Based on our experience, here are some guidelines to improve your ThermoWood ^TM Kiln operations to maintain wood quality and preserve efficiency:

1.       Pay careful attention when stickering wood – When wood is not stickered properly, thermally modified wood develops localized stresses at load points which causes wood to not be straight.  Each sticker should be located in the same place as the layer below it.  When wood is thermally modified it goes through a few phases of moisture change and the net result is wood that shrinks.  Well-organized stickers also ensure an even and smooth airflow across the batch of wood for an even drying and treatment of all wooden board in the batch.

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A simple stickering station like the one pictured above can help speed up stickering while improving wood quality.

2.       Ensure wood is loaded with enough weight – After the wood is stickered but prior to being loading into the ThermoWood ^TM Kiln, the wood has to be loaded with weight on top.  This weight on top ensures the wood on top is held in place so as stresses are relieved from the wood the wood remains held in place.

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A heavy weight on top keeps wood in place as internal stresses are relieved from wood during modification.

3.       Rough lumber is better for processing than planed – When cutter blades strike the machined lumber, it compresses the outer surface of the wood.  This discourages moisture transfer in wood and thermal modification becomes more difficult and expensive.  It is more efficient to thermally modify rough lumber because the rough surfaces allow more moisture to be released.  Despite the loss in kiln space efficiency from treating rough rather than planed lumber, rough lumber helps reduce required processing time and helps improve wood quality.  Processing rough lumber also ensures that final dimensions of the material is within builder specifications even after wood is later planed to remove raised grain and extractives that are brought to the surface of the wood from thermal modification.

4.       ThermoWood ^TM Kilns can be utilized to kiln-dry wood, but you shouldn’t – Because that is not what they are optimally designed for.  Before thermal modification begins, green lumber needs to have its moisture levels brought down.  If you do this on a ThermoWood ^TM Kiln rather than a conventional air-drying kiln, you lose valuable time on your thermal modification chamber.  Using kiln-dried wood significantly reduces the required time for wood to reach the required 1% moisture content before thermal modification.   For hardwoods the optimal incoming MC is 4-6% and for softwoods 12-16%.  Lower MC wood allows thermal modification to occur much faster.  A 1-2% MC differential can sometimes lengthen the process as much as 12 hours, ultimately increasing processing cost.  It is recommended that only kiln-dried wood is processed to reduce cost and increase production capacity.

5.       Thermally modify same thickness lumber – As with all wood drying processes the wood in the thermal modification kiln will be processed based on a uniform species and thickness to determine modification temperature and time.  Varying thicknesses of lumber in the same load will cause lumber to be dried and modified unevenly, resulting in inconsistency in color and properties.  This also increases the likelihood of internal checking in the wood which greatly adversely affects yield.  By having all incoming lumber of equal thickness, this variable is virtually eliminated and a consistent production of thermally modified wood batch can be attained.

6.       Prepare the next load before the kiln is emptied – Measure the height of the load to ensure it is not under or over-sized.  Pre-drill the moisture and heat sensor holes, and if an extra weight is available, pre-load the wood batch with a weight.  This enables the load to be ready for loading into the kiln as soon as the kiln is emptied.  This will help maximize kiln uptime by minimizing idle time from wood being prepared for thermal modification.

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Unloaded modified wood (left), wood loaded onto the cart for modification (middle), and wood waiting for next modification cycle (right).

7.       Location of moisture sensors – It’s important to drill the moisture sensors in different locations, typically away from knots and systematically placed around the load to get data from each area of the load.  This helps better represent the moisture of the batch as a whole.  The location of the moisture sensors should also be in the center of the wood to allow for readings of wood moisture content in the middle.

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By modifying Poplar inside a ThermoWood ^TM kiln to produce a darker wood, Poplar, a locally-harvested species can be used as an alternative for tropical imports.  This allows us to use perfectly good wood harvested from fast-growth trees to make higher-value products such as furniture instead of just destroying it to produce commodity pulp and paper.

Ultimately, by heat treating Poplar, the need to log exotic trees or old growth forests is reduced.  SeasonWood enables Poplar to be used in different ways it couldn’t have been used before.  By standing behind our philosophy of using value-added technologies, SeasonWood is a Great Way to Produce Green Wood.

For SeasonWood Poplar Lumber inquiries contact us here or please call us at 604-615-2812

Exotics stand out.  Be it an exotic red Ferrari or exotic Honduran Mahogany.  Exotic woods have bright, dark, or an otherwise distinct color.  They look nothing like your average IKEA pine furniture stock.  A room furnished with exotic woods looks and feels different.

Exotics are also often rich in extractives.  This makes them ideal for outdoor applications, where their natural biological durability and rot resistance allows them to sustain in the toughest of the environments.

No wonder why they’re in such high demand.  No wonder why they’re so expensive

But SeasonWood utilizes a new modern technology called thermal modification.  This new Finnish technology uses ThermoWood ^TM kilns to ‘cook’ your average hardwood or softwood stock from your local wood store into all those good things that make exotic woods so expensive.

By subjecting the wood to steam and high temperatures in an aerodynamic and balanced chamber, a new darker SeasonWood product is created.  This chemical-free process helps produce beautiful dark wood that is long-lasting but without the well-known wood-treating toxic chemicals like chromate copper arsenate (CCA) that are known to be lethal and especially for children.

Because the wood cell structure is modified and caramelized in the process, SeasonWood is more resistant to rot-causing fungi.  SeasonWood also shrinks and swells less, like most exotic woods.  Hey, maybe if SeasonWood prices were a little higher then it too could be considered exotic.

For SeasonWood Poplar or other thermally modified lumber inquiries contact us here or please call us at 604-615-2812