SBIR-STTR Award

An apparatus and technique for high-speed drying of a new structural material, known as Spaceboard, will be developed. Spaceboard is a novel structural board composed of pulped wood fiber. The Spaceboard concept was invented at the Forest Products Laboratory several years ago. The boards are produced by pressing fiber against compressible rubber molds to form a structure having a smooth face, backed by an integral pattern of hollow cells. Two symmetrical halves are bonded together cell-to-cell to form a complete board. The structure has a very high strength to weight ratio, can be tailored to a variety of shapes and sizes, and can be manufactured from scrap wood, under-utilized trees, and recycled fibers. The thick form of Spaceboard, known as Spaceboard II, dries very slowly using conventional techniques. The slow drying of Spaceboard II has been an impediment to commercialization. Our proposed device will remove this impediment by increasing the drying rate substantially. A small- scale apparatus will be fabricated and tested during the Phase I program and a full-scale prototype will be built during the Phase II program.

Anticipated Results:
If our high-speed dryer is successful, the last technical impediment to commercialization of Spaceboard II will be removed. Spaceboard II has potential for widespread uses in commercial and residential construction as walls, floors, roof panels, and doors. It can also be used in furniture and packaging industries. The material can be readily recycled which will solve many disposal problems that now exist for some wood products.

An apparatus for high-speed processing and drying of spaceboard will be designed and tested. Spaceboard is a molded structural fiberboard that can be manufactured into a wide variety of important products for the construction and material handling industries. Spaceboard products can be manufactured from materials that are considered unsuitable for most structural applications. Raw materials include re-cycled paper and cardboard, under-utilized trees and plants, and wood scraps. Spaceboard products can be readily re-cycled, easing the burden on our nation's landfill disposal sites. The wet-fiber pulp from which spaceboard products are made dries very slowly using conventional techniques. Slow drying speeds for thick individual spaceboard products has hindered mass-production and commercialization. Using a novel approach during the Phase I project, drying speeds were increased by a factor of five over conventional drying speeds. These dramatic increases in drying speeds make possible a new, highly efficient type of spaceboard processing apparatus that will be tested in the Phase II program. The new apparatus overcomes the previous impediment to high-speed mass production of thick spaceboard products.Applications:If the high-speed production apparatus is successful, the last major impediment to commercialization of thick spaceboard will be removed. Thick spaceboard products have widespread applications in construction and material handling industries. Specific product areas include wall panels, subfloors, roof panels, doors, inexpensive lightweight furniture, pallets, specialized containers, and packaging products. Spaceboard can be readily re-cycled, alleviating many disposal problems that now exist for similar products made of plastic or solid wood.