New treatment process puts kiln operators to shame.It looks like Maple, feels like Maple and acts like Maple, but Superior Thermowood swears it's Poplar. A technology new to North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , STW's thermowood process heats wood more intensely and much faster than a traditional kiln operation. That results in a product with much less moisture, a moderated cell structure and reduced sugar levels that render them useless to insects and rot fungi, eliminating the need for chemical preservatives preservatives, n.pl food additives that hinder spoilage by reducing the growth of microorganisms. Include nitrates and nitrites, benzoates and sulfites, and many others. or pesticides. Ultra-violet (UV) protection is recommended to maintain the natural colour of the wood. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The wood, in short, is harder, less prone to cupping or warping, practically free of the possibility of rot or parasite infestation infestation /in·fes·ta·tion/ (-fes-ta´shun) parasitic attack or subsistence on the skin and/or its appendages, as by insects, mites, or ticks; sometimes used to denote parasitic invasion of the organs and tissues, as by helminths. , offers a 30-percent greater insulation value and has a warmer richer colour for a more pleasing look. It is perfect for "value-added" applications like siding, trim, moulding, door and window frames, paneling and flooring, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the company's spokesman. And once there is a production capacity to stock retailers with larger amounts of the stuff, it will be perfect for decking applications as well. Adapted and improved from European technology in use in Finland and parts of Sweden and Germany, Superior Thermowood calls it the Eco Dry system. The closed-loop technology relies on sensors within the Eco Dry chamber to keep a precise handle on humidity and temperature levels. Oxygen levels are kept to an absolute minimum, which allows the unit to bring the wood to much higher temperatures than a traditional kiln operator would dare. The extreme heat activates naturally occurring protective agents and brings out aesthetic details in the grain, according to the company. The very cell structure of the wood is "moderated." Smaller cells are enlarged, and larger, softer cells are shrunk down. In conventional wood, the cells of different sizes dry out at different rates, which causes warping, cupping and bending. With all the cells more or less the same size, and a moisture level of 5 to 8 percent versus 17 to 19 percent in a two-by-four you could pick up at a lumber yard lumber yard n (US) → almacén m de madera lumber yard n → entrepôt m de bois lumber yard n today, less of the wood is lost to splitting or warping. The wood is ready for use in less than 40 hours, much less than the 6-7 weeks a traditional dry kiln dry kiln n. A heated chamber in which cut lumber is dried and seasoned. Noun 1. dry kiln - a kiln for drying and seasoning lumber kiln - a furnace for firing or burning or drying such things as porcelain or bricks operator can promise. A plant with one Eco Dry system can produce up to 100,000 board feet of treated lumber a week, depending on species and lumber dimensions. All wood produced meets the established Thermo S and Thermo D international standards for thermowood products and the colour is controllable. The technology also opens up the door to species that are currently underutilized by forestry operations. Tamarack tamarack: see larch. , for example, is typically left behind by harvesters because it has a high moisture and sap/tar content, which tends to gum up machines however, the wood looks, feels and behaves more like a hardwood when processed by Superior Thermowood's Eco Dryer. Wood species most eligible for the EcoDry treatment are fast growing softwood species such as Ash, Birch, Cedar, Pine, Poplar, Tamarack and Spruce, but hardwoods benefit from the process as well. The company says it represents a good news story for the beleaguered be·lea·guer tr.v. be·lea·guered, be·lea·guer·ing, be·lea·guers 1. To harass; beset: We are beleaguered by problems. 2. To surround with troops; besiege. lumber in dustry, which has been hit hard by the cross-border softwood lumber dispute, skyrocketing energy and insurance bills and a loonie Loonie A slang term for a Canadian dollar. It is derived from the picture of a loon on one side of the coin. Notes: Just like in the U.S. where the dollar is referred to as the "greenback", the loonie is a often used to refer to the Canadian dollar. that at Northern Ontario Business Northern Ontario Business is a Canadian magazine, which publishes monthly in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The magazine covers business news and issues in Northern Ontario. deadline was hovering around 85 cents against the greenback greenback, in U.S. history, legal tender notes unsecured by specie (coin). In 1862, under the exigencies of the Civil War, the U.S. government first issued legal tender notes (popularly called greenbacks) that were placed on a par with notes backed by specie. . Superior Thermowood says it is creating a product that works well with the "value-added" products sector, encouraging better use of available wood species and, hopefully, creating both jobs and new products. Flooring, siding, door and window manufacturers and interested entrepreneurs are inquiring about buying either the wood or their own Eco Dry unit. Each plant can create 40-60 jobs the spokesman says, adding the firm is targeting Minnesota and Wisconsin and Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is the part of the province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron (including Georgian Bay), the French River and Lake Nipissing. Northern Ontario has a land area of 802,000 km² (310,000 mi²) and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it towns for sale of the equipment. But with a licence to sell the products as well as the technology behind it all over North America, proponents of the now up and running Kakabeka Falls are currently planning and implementing expanded facilities to keep up with demand. Further, Superior Thermowood is currently working with the forestry department at Thunder Bay's Lakehead University in a research and development partnership aimed at further enhancing the process and benchmarking a wide variety of species. Clinics are being set up for the fall to provide more information on the process, the product and business opportunities. For more details and contact information, visit the company's website. www.superiorthermowood.com By CRAIG GILBERT Northern Ontario Business |
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