A ground breaking research project to recycle board materials by acoustic radiation could have tremendous environmental and commercial benefits for the furniture industry.
The research will be led by FIRA which has assembled a large consortium of partners representing the entire supply chain to ensure the focus is market driven.
The project – code name Fibre Release – will investigate the potential for using acoustic radiation to degrade the resin bonds that bind the wood material within the board thus releasing the fibre or chip for re-use. The method will be applicable to all board types including those coated with paints, foils, papers and veneers.
The potential market for recovered particles and fibres is large: in 2000 the UK produced almost 2.3 million m3 of particleboard and 850,000m3 of MDF. Around 55% of UK and imported particleboard goes into furniture along with 90% of MDF production. UK production has been rising for the past 10 years but demand still outstrips national production leading to a trade deficit for imported product.
