Quick Dips

Hard Wood out of Softwood

A new way of hardening radiata pine has led to the launch of a joint venture by the Forest Research Institute, Tasman Forestry and Chemicca. The process will allow radiata to be used for such applications as flooring, benchtops and high-quality furniture, according to Dr John Butcher of FRI. Pine has previously been too soft for these uses, and increasingly-scarce hardwoods are more often used.

The process is based on an "inexpensive and readily available natural product", requires simple heat for drying, and is claimed to pose no environmental or health hazard. The chemical is impregnated into the wood under pressure and then heat-cured to form a polymer within the wood's structure. The result is wood which is denser and harder than usual, and which has excellent finishing properties.

"With this new technology, wood products can be hardened in final shape and form. Also, the ability to add colour with the formulation, together with the relatively bland appearance of radiata pine clearwood, makes the product suitable for mimicking a range of high-quality hardwoods," says Butcher.