WONDER FIBRE OF THE WORLD

Wood is made up of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and an array of waxes, resins and sugars. The properties of these elements make them suitable ingredients in functional bio-products, not just in paper, cardboard, tissue or sawn timber.

In cosmetics, the water absorption capacity of cellulose enhances product texture, providing a smooth and creamy feel, and thus a better application experience for the consumer. Cellulose can also as an anti-caking agent for cosmetic foundations.

Viscose, rayon and lyocell are three textiles that are made from a specialised form of cellulose. Also known as dissolving wood pulp, this purified form of cellulose is suitable for chemical conversion into a range of products. It is spun into textile fibres for use in fashion and decorating textiles, cast into a film or regenerated into a sponge.

In the case of animal feed, lignin, the ‘glue’ of the natural world, is often removed from wood during the paper manufacturing process and recovered from spent pulping liquors. Lignin binds the nutritive ingredients and additives in the production of compound animal feeds.

Ligno sulphates are used in mining and road maintenance as a dust suppressant by binding the road surface particles together. They are also common admixtures for concrete, acting as a water reducer or plasticiser to improve the flow of concrete, slow down the setting time and reduce the amount of mixing water required.

A potential substitute for diesel, bio-oils are obtained by heating wood waste in an oxygen free environment, a process known as pyrolysis. The solid product generated (bio-char) can be used as an enriched growing medium for seedlings or converted into high-grade activated carbon.

Trees in plantations are essentially crops that are planted and replanted in rotations, with only about 9% of the total tree count being harvested in any given year. This means that there are always trees growing at different stages of maturity, and all are absorbing carbon dioxide and storing the carbon. In so doing, they offer a means to mitigate the impact of climate change.

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