The presentation will review the process of pressurised refining for the production of fibres used in applications such as construction and packaging materials.
The effect of pressure, temperature and mechanical energy in production of different fibre types including wood and agricultural wastes will be explained. The talk will also describe the additional effects such as the chemical and heat treatment of the fibre surfaces.
Project case studies will be used to illustrate
1. Use of higher pressures in refining to chemical modify and heat treat the fibres to improve durability of MDF.
2. Use of pressurised refining of oil palm empty fruit bunch for pulp moulded packaging applications
3. The use of pressurised refining as a pre-treatment for Biorefining and use of fibres for filtration applications.
The presentation will also cover future topics of interest such as the circular economy and the increasing need to recycle products. This will be illustrated with an update on MDF Recovery Ltd’s approach to recycling and the development of novel insulation materials with 98% recycled content.