Use of short-rotation coppice willow clones of Salix viminalis as furnish in panel production

This study proposes substituting traditional raw materials in the wood composite paneling industry with a fast-growing willow species, thereby alleviating shortages of raw material in a cost-efficient manner and at the same time preserving our natural resources from over-exploitation. For experimental board production, 3-year-old stems of Salix viminalis L., identified as clone 5027 by the Forest Ministry of Quebec, with or without bark, were employed as substitute materials. Particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF) containing different loading levels of Salix viminalis L. were manufactured in the laboratory under production conditions similar to those used in the industry. Overall, the results of this study are promising and clearly demonstrate that panels could be manufactured using up to 30 percent of the proposed substitute material and still maintain the required mechanical and physical properties. All experimental panels including particleboard and MDF panels conformed to the requirements prescribed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Additional experimental studies should be conducted to fine-tune processing conditions and confirm the suitability of this species on an industrial production scale.