2004 Research Highlights

Forest Fire Suppression by Pulp Production from Forest Thinnings »

The Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, along with the University of Idaho; Ponderay Valley Fiber (PVP) and Ponderay Newsprint Company (PNC) in Usk, Washington; and BioPulping International in Madison, Wisconsin, is conducting a demonstration project using suppressed growth trees to produce thermal mechanical pulp for manufacturing newsprint papers. As the first step of the demonstration, the team produced thermal mechanical pulp at Andritz's industrial pilot plant and research and development laboratory in Springfield, Ohio, in April 2004. Results indicate no deterioration in the physical and optical properties of the pulp and paper produced using 75% regular mill wood chip (PNC) and 25% suppressed growth wood chips (provided by PVP) made from 50% douglas fir and 50% lodgepole pine. The suppressed growth wood chips were produced after taking the best possible lumber from the logs. The next step of the project is to conduct direct mill trials to demonstrate TMP production using suppressed growth wood chips without affecting the quality of the paper.

The demonstration study is significant because both mills (PVP and PNC) are very close to several national forests in the northwestern states where there are a lot of suppressed growth trees available to be thinned. The suppressed growth wood chips used in this demonstration came from the most typical wood species in that region that need to be thinned. The approach to produce the suppressed growth wood chips by taking the lumber first is the most economical use of the materials. This project helps the US Forest Service move a step closer toward economically reducing the fuel loading in the northwestern region.