Pakistan Forest Institute
Peshawar, Pakistan

Composite Wood

This branch is engaged in developing wood conserving techniques through improving the use of waste generated in mills and forests and of local and exotic timbers of low quality in manufacture of board products (plywood, particleboard, fiberboard, laminated wood, cement-bonded boards, gypsum boards and medium density fiberboards) of desired properties. It has one Assistant Composite Wood Officer, one Assistant Wood Technology Officer and one Field Assistant, who in addition to conducting research and education in the subject, hold short courses and advise on matters relating to efficient use of wood for board products. It aims to improve the wood utilization practices by improving the use of commercially less important timbers which have no use other than fuel and to develop techniques for reducing wastage of quality timbers already in use. The purpose of improvement of wood utilization practices is to increase qualitative and quantitative production of the local wood industry.

Current Research Programme:

  • Improvement of moisture repelling properties of particle boards.
  • Determination of properties of commercial particle board for standardization of the products.
  • Manufacture of door and window frames from laminated wood to promote utilization of small size timber.
  • Manufacture of exterior grade plywood from local timbers Improving the durability of commercial particleboards and plywood against termites and powder post beetles.

Significant Achievements:

  • A large number of low quality timbers having no commercial importance other than fuel were tested for their use in resin bonded particleboard and hardboard manufacture with the object of improving their value.
  • Mineral bonded boards such as gypsum board and cement bonded particleboards were developed from manufacturing waste and inferior quality timbers for substituting solid wood.
  • Fast growing species with timbers of low commercial importance were tested for their performances in plywood of standard properties.
  • Gluing properties of local timbers were investigated for assessing their suitability in producing large size wood from smaller size timber e.g. laminated wood. This type of product is not only useful in conserving good quality timbers but is also helpful in increasing the value of low quality material and improving the quality of productions.