New methods of modifying wood to increase use of home-grown timber and make the UK less reliant on imports are being explored in a Cambridge University research project.
Timber merchant RIdgeons is contributing funding towards the project, which the company sees as a possible long-term answer to supply issues affecting the timber trade.
The three-year project involves the university’s engineering, chemistry and architecture departments and originates from several Cambridge academics who wanted to explore using chemistry to improve the mechanical properties of wood.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is providing funding, with Ridgeons sponsoring PhD student Oliver Hudson as an industry supporter.
Mr Hudson, based at Peterhouse College, said the modification research was based on “biological self assembly”, which did not use the energy-intensive methods currently employed by existing commercial modified timber brands.
“The chemistry process is very novel. But it’s very much conceptional and a long way from being turned into a commercial product. Some small scale samples have been tested in the last few months.”
Mr Hudson said the research was commercially relevant for Ridgeons and for the UK timber industry generally.
Graham Skillen, purchasing executive of Ridgeons Forest Products, said home-grown timber’s penetration in the construction market was reduced because it did not have the strength of imported products. “ I think this work could expand the market for home-grown timber which has to be a good thing,” he said.
“Timber is very important to our business and makes up something like 30% of our turnover,” said Nick Sims, Ridgeons group commercial director,
But he said supply was becoming a constant issue, with many European sawmills closing down and the company having to secure alternative supply sources.
Mr Sims said Ridgeons’ support for the timber modification research reflected a long-term aim of securing timber supplies.
“Would it be possible to buy the raw material in our own back yard?” he said.
“Long term we are thinking how can we take all these supply peaks and troughs out of the equation and not be reliant on imports.”
