Currently in South America and Iberia significant quantities of veneer-based engineered wood products (EWP) are produced from plantation eucalypts; however, no Australian wood processing companies use any significant quantities of plantation-grown eucalypts to produce either veneer or veneer-based EWPs.
This research project reviewed and summarised information on using plantation eucalypts for EWPs such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and plywood, glulam, flake/strand-based products, fibreboard and particleboard. Emphasis was on gluing systems, the properties and performance of EWPs and any inherent limitations on the uses of particular eucalypt species.
The primary eucalypt species considered were Eucalyptus globulus (southern blue gum) and E. nitens (shining gum), since these together comprise around 75 per cent of Australian hardwood plantations. Other species were also considered where information was available.
Key findings include that fast-grown, lower density eucalypts generally present no major adhesion difficulties, and that much of the eucalypt plantation resource originally planted for wood chip and pulp would be suitable as a feedstock for LVL, selected strand/flake-based EWPs and medium density fibreboard.
Reference Number:
PNB290-1112
