Norwegian modified wood producer Kebony provided one of the most convincing eco-arguments at Ligna.
Its modification process converts pine, beech, maple and other species into a more durable and stable product by a chemical process using a formula based on agricultural waste.
Furfuryl alcohol produced from sugar cane waste is mixed in a chemical formula and impregnated into timber under pressure before drying and curing at temperatures above 100ºC.
Kebony’s 55m² stand at Ligna demonstrated the product in a range of applications and showed people they could buy a decking or cladding product which could match or exceed the performance of the best tropical hardwoods without being sourced from rainforests.
Kebony is popular in Norway, and a new, high capacity plant started up in January is aimed at to expanding exports.
“The UK is already an interesting market for us,” said marketing director Jan Terje Nielsen, adding that Kebony has been used as cladding on an Inverness Forestry Commission building and will feature in the Norwegian stand at the London Design Festival in September.
“People want real alternatives to traditional tropical hardwood and we’re now also expanding our scope to look for industrial partners,” said sales director Karin Hjelmvedt.
