Achievements in the utilization of poplar wood – guideposts for the future

Abstract

e t s c h m a n n~ and Andr6 ~e c l e r c q~ From an early status as a "weed tree," poplar has become an important commercial genus in North America during the past 20 years. The many and varied uses of poplar wood now include pulp and paper, lumber, veneer, plywood, composite panels, structural composite lumber, containers, pallets, furniture components, match splints and chopsticks. The high cellulose and relatively low lignin content make poplars well suited for pulp and paper products. The wood can be pulped by all commercial pulping methods, such as mechanical, semi-chemical, sulphate and sulphite processes. Poplar pulps are utilized in fine papers, tissues, paperboard, newsprint and packaging papers. Poplar kraft pulps, when blended with softwood kraft, are particularly well suited for fine paper manufacture because of inherently desirable properties, such as excellent sheet formation, high opacity, good bulk and good printability. While poplar wood continues to be an important raw material in the traditional lumber, veneer and plywood industries, the most remarkable recent achievement in poplar utilization is the phenomenal growth of the oriented strandboard and structural composite lumber industries in North America during the last decade. The future for poplar utilization is bright. On the resource production side, opportunities for genetically modifying important wood properties, such as chemical composition, fibre quality and natural durability of wood, can now be realized. On the resource utilization side, high-value engineered composites and high-yield pulp and paper products will represent the strongest growth sectors for poplar fibre during the coming decades.Key words: poplar wood, utilization, pulp and paper, oriented strandboard, fibre properties A l'origine, une esptce << indksirable D, le peuplier est devenu un genre important en terme commercial en Amkrique du Nord au cours des demitres 20 annkes. Les usages multiples et variks du bois de peuplier comprennent maintenant la p2te et le papier, le bois d'ceuvre, le dtroulage, le contre-plaqut, les panneaux composites, le bois d'ingtnierie pour les charpentes, les conteneurs, les palettes, les composantes de meuble, les allumettes et les baguettes. Le fort contenu en cellulose et la relativement faible portion de lignine font en sorte que les peupliers sont recherchks pour la production de pke et de papier. Le bois peut Stre transformks en p2te selon tous les prockdks commerciaux de mis en p2te qu'il soit mkcanique, semi-chimique, au sulfate ou au sulfite. Les p2tes de peuplier sont utilistes dans les papiers fins, les papiers hygikniques, les cartons, le papier journal et les papiers d'emballage. Les pltes kraft de peuplier, lorsque mklangkes B de la p2te kraft de rksineux, sont particulitrement intkressantes pour la fabrication de papier fin par suite des proprittts inhkrentes recherchkes, comme l'excellente formation de feuille de papier, la grande opacitk, une masse adkquate et une bonne qualitt typographique. MSme si le bois de peuplier con...

Biomass and Volume Yield in Mature Hybrid Poplar Plantations on Temperate Abandoned Farmland

“…However, hybrid poplars are short-lived trees because they are highly susceptible to diseases and pest outbreak [16]. In addition, hybrid poplars tend to have low mechanical strength properties [70], which make them susceptible to stem breakages during severe climatic events such as windstorms or ice storms. Since those climatic events are episodically observed in the southern Québec region, a low risk management approach for the production of pulpwood and sawlogs would be the use of high quality sites, with intermediate rotation length (12-15 years) for planting densities around 833 stem/ha.…”

Physical Properties of Wood in Poplar Clones ’I-214’ and ’S1-8’

“…Large portion of wood produced in poplar clones is in the juvenile core (Balatinecz et al, 2001). The juvenile wood properties generally change from pit outward.…”

Relationships between understory vegetation and hybrid poplar growth and size in an operational plantation

“…provides a viable option to help meet the increasing global market demand for fibre (Balatinecz et al 2001, Perry et al 2001, Weih 2004, Park and Wilson 2007. This is particularly true in the southern boreal region where the short but intense growing season is efficiently utilized by the rapid growth of hybrid poplar (Weih 2004).…”

“…This is particularly true in the southern boreal region where the short but intense growing season is efficiently utilized by the rapid growth of hybrid poplar (Weih 2004). The use of hybrid poplars allows for fibre yields comparable to other areas with longer growing seasons and greater rainfall (Balatinecz et al 2001, Weih 2004, Park and Wilson 2007, Christersson 2010.…”