PWC Board.
Discover the future of eco-friendly wood composites.
The Polymeric Wood Composite project (abbreviated PWC) deals with an innovative method industry for the production of a new composite material belonging to the category of wood-polymer derivatives.
The excellent characteristics of the new material combined with lower costs of production compared to homologous materials make the project of important interest in the relevant industrial field.
The name PWC (Polymeric Wood Composite) is intended to denote the set of panels produced with the technology illustrated here, highlighting with respect to the already well-known acronym WPC (Wood Plastic Composite) the predominance in this composite of the woody-natural than the plastic-synthetic one.
The new technology in the PWC project also boasts of an important green value contributing to the drastic reduction of energy consumption compared with traditional production and the reuse of recycled plastics of various kinds.
At present, the project is in the form of a scalable prototype.
The propotipation of the production process at scale are accessible in the form of a pilot plant with subsequent online transfer.
- A new water-resistant PWC material and a new method for the production of thin-layer PWC panels with particleboard technology and with thermoplastic matrix adhesives.
After a long and complex research path, by applying a new and inconceivable technical-scientific principle, not known in regular practice and prior art, the object of the title exemplified in the form of a scalable prototype was obtained.
The excellent and winning features of the new panel are:
- 1) PWC is a particleboard that is resistant to water and atmospheric moisture with the same or better technical characteristics than a fiberboard panel.
- 2) PWC is made by particleboard technique and thermoplastic matrix adhesives, applying a new and inconceivable technical-scientific principle*, not known in common practice and prior art**.
- 3) PWC can be produced in thin layer, in the range of 2 to 9mm***, with a percentage of thermoplastic adhesive in the range of 10 to 30%, while maintaining technical characteristics equal to or better than a fiberboard panel.
- 4) PWC has an isotropic Z structure, unchanged X,Y and Z dimensions, and smooth wood surfaces even after EN 317 24h**** test.
- 5) PWC does not contain formaldehyde, as no element containing it is used in the production process.
The characteristics listed above are immediately verifiable and recognizable in the material object. These characteristics are inconceivable and unfeasible with the knowledge available at the current state of technology of homologous materials.
(*) The scientific-technical principle of implementation is new and inconceivable based on the knowledge of current practice and known art, therefore the hidden knoledge technology and associated intellectual property rights, in the management program, are under strict reservation.
The state of the art of homologous technologies referable to companies such as Flooring Technologies Ltd., Siempelkamp, Swiss Krono, Valinge, IKEA, Kronospan, Nile Ltd and others are not obstacles to the construction of IPRs associated with the new scientific-technical principle.
(**) In prior art, the use of thermoplastic adhesives for the production of wood-polymer composite materials is already known. The results obtained so far are in any case not satisfactory being known numerous technical difficulties and high production costs especially when compared with the relative technical quality.
(***)International research of new water-resistant wood-polymer composite materials has so far not achieved economically viable technical results. This element becomes more important when considering the fact that none of these researches contemplate the possibility of producing thin-layer panels (2-9mm) with particleboard technique.
(****) After the EN 317 24h water immersion test, the panel does not undergo deformation (XYZ dimensions unchanged) and the surfaces remain smooth, non-corrugated and porous, even at points where wood grains emerge from the surface. This technical factor is of great importance for the effects on the value chain referring to the processes of production, processing, marketing and use of the product if we consider that it represents an overcoming of the main technical defect of the whole category of wood-derived products including products with fiberboard technique (HDF, MDF, etc.) that generally present after the same test a swelling of more than 10%.
- Production costs (ICP).
The main economic advantage of the new material and its method of production is related to the absence of the TMP (Thermo Mechanical Pulping) process aimed at obtaining wood fibers, an element that in the production of thin-layer panels (e.g., HDF) with current technologies represents an important slice of the total production cost.
An additional element of economic advantage of PWC is the possible reuse of 2nd, 3rd and 4th quality thermopolymers as adhesives, which results in a further and progressive reduction of ICP with a consequent increase in competitive potential.
The superior technical quality of PWC coupled with a sharp reduction in the industrial cost of production indicates a potential killer effect on some homologous products currently on the market.
- The new PWC has an isotropic z structure, unchanged z and xy dimensions and smooth wooden surfaces even after EN 317 test.
Comparative tables related to production costs are shown below.
Analysis of living costs referred to PWC in different blends and densities.
The following cost estimates for different types of thermoplastic materials are used in the table:
Virgin polymer, 1st quality: 1000 €/ton;
Recycled polymer 2nd quality: 350 €/ton;
Recycled polymer 3rd quality: 100 €/ton;
Recycled polymer 4th quality: -150 €/ton.
(*) possible coloration (blue-green) resulting from the use of chromatically heterogeneous recycled thermoplastic material.
Note how even when virgin or 1st grade thermopolymer is used, ICP remains highly competitive with homologous products.
Living cost analysis referred to WO2023143963A1 – Swiss Krono (Advanced search for waterproof fiberboard)
Virgin polymer, 1st quality: 1000 €/ton;
Recycled polymer 2nd quality: 350 €/ton;
Recycled polymer 3rd quality: 100 €/ton;
Recycled polymer 4th quality: -150 €/ton.
- Reference costs.
Indicative reference costs for different materials and production processes are listed below:
Wood granulate : 70-150€/ton;
Obtaining fibers from wood granulate via TMP: 350€/ton;
Indicative average KPI fiberboard panels: 650 €/ton;
Indicative average KPI particleboard panels: 350 €/ton;
Main resin cost:
UF: 900 €/ton;
MUF: 1200 €/ton;
PF: 1200 €/ton;
PMDI: 3000 €/ton (6/10 MUF or PF, 3/10 UF, 1/10 other).
Main thermoplastic polymers cost:
PE 1000 €/ton;
PP 1500 €/ton;
PS 1750 €/ton;
PET 1250 €/ton;
Recycled 1st quality -35%;
Recycled 2nd quality -65%;
Recycled 3rd quality -100%;
Recycled 4th quality -135% (e.g. Riuso Italia CSS with social contribution).
- Product samples.
The exceptional versatility of PWC allows the production of a wide range of products. The following is a preliminary analysis of the possibilities in terms of combinations of features of the new material.
The sample obtained by combining the characteristics listed below represents one of 315 possible, which including additives comes to 1575.
Wood origin: S-H-Mi (Softwood, Hardwood, Miscellaneous);
Grain Sizes: F-M-G (Fine, Medium, Coarse grain);
Adhesive: P1-P2-P3-P4-P5-P6-P7 (prevalence of PE, HDPE, PP, PS, PET, PLA, other);
Thickness: 2-4-6-8-10 mm;
Additions: a-b-c-d-e-f (additives and color effect).
- Acronyms legend.
PWC: Polymeric wood composite;
WPC: Polymeric wood composite;
IPR: Industrial Property Rights;
ICP: Industrial Cost of Production;
TMP: Thermo Mechanical Pulping;
MDF: Medium density fiberboard;
HDF: High-density fiberboard;
CSS: Secondary Solid Fuel;
CV: living costs;
CF: fixed costs;
Q-C: quantity-cost.
- Significant elements of prior art.
Below is a list of the main prior art elements analyzed and significant to the project:
WO2023143963A1;
WO20244002605A1;
EP3017924A1 2014;
EP 3189950B1 2016;
EP 4129597A1 2021;
US1 1072087B2 2019;
EP 3725481A1 2019;
AU 2022204035B2 2022;
EP 4219105A1 2022;
EP 3784456B1 2019;
EP 3655244B1 2017;
CA 2491656C 2002;
EP 3170636A2 2017;
WO 2020211988A1 2020;
Handbook of wood chemistry and wood composites 2005 ed. Roger M. Rowell.
WO2023143963A1 (Swiss Krono Tec AG).
The patent illustrates the use of 50% thermoset adhesive mixture to achieve 3% thickness swelling.
This is the terminal of a 20-year research path for application of thermoplastic adhesives to lignocellulosic composites conducted together with Flooring Technologies Ltd-Verlinge et al. which decreed the final abandonment of the research path due to a conclusive lack of useful results and determined a return to thermoset adhesives as the only and viable solution.
AU2022204035B2 (Nile Ltd – Thomas Clarence et al.)
Patent also the subject of international interest due to the recent participation of IKEA. This is a rudimentary process for reusing thermoplastics as adhesives for lignocellulosics with emphasis on the thermoplastic preparation process (not the subject of the patent). The composite construction disclosed in claim 1 has long been known art and recognized as ineffective.
- Notes.
EU panelboard production (tons): HDF 1 mln, MDF 13 mln, PP 32 mln, OSB 7 mln.
EU panelboard production 2-10 mm (tons): 12 mln.
Thermoplastic adhesive demand 4 mln (2-3-4th grades).
The amount of thermoplastic material redirected into the new PWC technology has sufficient magnitude to “close” the so-called circular economy circuit associated with thermoplastics: (e.g.waste per capita EU.: 20 kg/year) from which emerges a clear additional social and green value of the new PWC technology from which the whole value chain can benefit from from the origin of plastic materials to the composite, from the semi-finished to the finished product.
