German chemicals giant BASF has announced plans to transform the use of wood through modification technology which is designed to make European species perform like tropical hardwoods.
The company, which has spent €3-5m developing Belmadur, says the technology will widen the range of applications for species such as pine and beech in flooring, windows, doors, cladding, decking and garden furniture.
BASF says the patented process differs from other recently-developed wood modification technologies.
BASF has applied its experience in textile chemicals to develop Belmadur, which is applied to wood by normal pressure impregnation methods and involves the cross-linking of cellulose molecules within timber.
The company claims the process increases the dimensional stability, hardness and durability of wood, making beech as long-lasting as teak and twice as hard as oak.
Dr Franz Weingart, who heads the Belmadur marketing programme, said: “Increasing the durability of domestic species opens up many more possible applications for them. They provide a more sustainable alternative in applications that were previously only open to tropical hardwoods or other materials.”
BASF has trialled the technology with shaped plywood manufacturer Becker KG, which has made several Belmadur products including skateboards and garden furniture.
BASF is now actively marketing the process in Europe to wood processors and manufacturers of timber products. It expects to announce its first licensing agreement next year.
The company’s current involvement with the timber industry extends to supplying resins, preservatives, pigments for coatings and raw materials for wood flooring adhesives.
