Balsam Poplar as a Raw Material for Waferboard

Results showed that small diameter (5 in.) balsam poplar and aspen bolts both required approximately the same length of time to thaw, but for large diameter bolts (10 in.), a considerably longer time was required to thaw balsam poplar. Balsam poplar was difficult to waferize because of its high gelatinous fiber content. Fibers would wrap around knife edges, greatly reducing their effectiveness. Laboratory phenolic bonded waferboards were made from 100 percent aspen; 100 percent balsam poplar; 50 percent balsam poplar-50 percent paper birch; and 70 percent aspen-15 percent balsam poplar-15 percent paper birch. Waferboard from 100 percent balsam poplar had excellent mechanical properties but greater thickness swelling than the other panel types. Fifteen percent paper birch mixed with 15 percent balsam poplar and 70 percent aspen resulted in acceptable panels, but using 50 percent birch with 50 percent balsam poplar required higher panel densities to achieve properties similar to those of panels from 100 percent aspen to 100 percent balsam poplar. Linear expansion increased as birch content increased from 0 percent to 15 percent to 50 percent.

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