Modified MDF panels could be brought to market within two to three years, according to Coillte Panel Products and Titan Wood.
The companies formally signed their development agreement to commercialise a modified Medite MDF panel made from Tricoya wood elements at the Irish Embassy in London on June 11, in the presence of Irish deputy prime minister and minister for enterprise, trade and employment Mary Coughlan.
The partners said they would be working to develop the Tricoya process plant at Medite’s Clonmel mill during the next 12-18 months.
Coillte Panel Products and Titan, whose Accoya modified solid wood is already proving a commercial success, said as far as they were aware, no other companies in the world had developed a commercially viable acetylated wood panel.
“The expectation is that Tricoya technology can be commercialized in virtually any wood-based composite material and these are currently being developed,” they said. “But initially MDF seems to have the broadest range of potential applications.”
Titan said it was technically easier to acetylate smaller wood geometries such as chips or fibre compared to solid wood but the process required for use in a panel forming operation was “considerably more complex”.
The partners said it was difficult to fully determine the size of the market for modified MDF panels but they said the breadth and scope of potential applications was encouraging.
Titan Wood’s modification technology is designed to significantly increase the durability and stability of wood.
