Training School 4

Product Development from Renewable Resources. Danish Technological Institute, Denmark. 15-17 March 2017

Whilst wood and wood fibres have a long-standing tradition within the building construction, furniture and utensils sectors, the increased focus on wood fibres has led to greater opportunities for commercial exploitation. Much of the existing knowledge on wood fibre research processing industry could help advance the commercialisation of many non-wood species, such as hemp, bamboo and cotton. One of the partners within COST FP1303, the Danish Technological Institute, were successful in 2015 in gaining funding for a programme of work helping to establish greater opportunities for both wood and non-wood fibres in commercialised products. This network, entitled Fiber Ties, provided research and industry with the chance to explore common goals. The success from this programme led COST FP1303 to hold its fourth Training School on the areas of utilisation of fibres from renewable resources at DTI’s main site in Hoje Taastrup, Denmark.

The three-day school focussed on areas for product development using renewable resources, and attracted 17 trainees from 15 COST member countries (of which 11 countries were COST Inclusiveness nations). Among the presentations given were.

• Anne Christine Steenkjaer Hastrup (DTI, Denmark): Introduction to the Training School
• Morwenna Spear (BC, United Kingdom): Utilisation of Composites: An Introduction to NFCs and WPCs in Composite Applications
• Leise Marud (WASTELess, Denmark): Recycling of wood from household waste - opportunities and barriers
• Anand Sanardi (University of Copenhagen, Denmark): A Brief review of Agricultural Fibers in Polypropylene
• Graham Ormondroyd (BC, United Kingdom): Manufacture of fibre board products
• Mark Lawther (DTI, Denmark): Value added products from wet-fractionation of residual biomass
• Morwenna Spear (BC, United Kingdom): Formaldehyde and standards in board products      
• Callum Hill (JCH Industrial Ecology Ltd, United Kingdom): How can we measure environmental impacts?
• Mark Lawther (DTI, Denmark): Sustainable Development”: From Bio to Business
• Dennis Jones (DJ Timber Consultancy, United Kingdom): Modified wood in composites
• Thomas Witterseh (DTI, Denmark): Building Materials and Emissions
• Anders Kjellow (DTI, Denmark): Tall Wood Buildings – A Denmark Perspective

 There was also a tour and demonstration of facilities and processing methods, and a tour of Copenhagen assessing the use of wood in service across the city.