An aqueous boric acid/urea dispersion includes insoluble boric acid particles having a median particle size range of less than 44 microns and having a % actives content of boric acid plus urea of 60 wt. % or greater. The boric acid/urea dispersion includes an effective amount of at least one viscosity reducing agent such that the boric acid/urea dispersion has an initial Brookfield 2 rpm viscosity of about 5,000 to about 25,000 centipoise and a three week aged Brookfield 2 rpm viscosity of less than 250,000 centipoise, an optional amount of an alkali metal base, the alkali metal base/boric acid mole ratio in the dispersion ranging up to about 0.01; and the balance water. The boric acid/urea dispersion can be used in the manufacture of engineered wood products like oriented strand board as well as be a part of a waterborne coating formulation to coat wood products to improve fire retardancy.

Near InfraRed NIR technology, including NIR cameras and detectors, is used to accurately identify surface irregularities on a surface of a veneer sheet or other wood product. Based on the identified surface irregularities for a given wood product, one or more actions are taken with respect to wood product or production process to ensure the wood product is put to the most efficient, effective, and valuable use.

Near InfraRed NIR technology, including NIR cameras and detectors, and machine learning methods and systems, including one or more Machine Learning (ML) based surface irregularity prediction models, are used to accurately identify surface irregularities on a surface of a wood product, such as a veneer sheet or ribbon, and provide irregularity prediction data for the wood product. Based on the irregularity prediction data for a given wood product, one or more actions are taken with respect to wood product or the production process to ensure the wood product is put to the most efficient, effective, and valuable use.

Near InfraRed NIR technology, including NIR cameras and detectors, are used to detect irregularity in the surface of a wood product. Based on the detected irregularities at various locations in a given wood product, one or more actions are taken with respect to a production process used to produce the wood product to ensure the wood product is put to the most efficient, effective, and valuable use.

Disclosed is a process for the acetylation of wood, wherein the wood is impregnated with acetylation fluid and heated in stages. It is thereby secured that an acetylation reaction is conducted at a temperature above the boiling temperature of the acetylation fluid, at a stage where the impregnated wood is largely devoid of free acetylation fluid (i.e., acetylation fluid not retained in the wood matrix or in capillaries). Preferably, the process is conducted in a plant having conveyors, such as transportation screws, in the zones in which the separate heating steps are conducted.

A shipboard apparatus (300) for heat treating wood chips, for service in the trade and for export to receivers within the forest products industries and the biomass energy sectors. The purpose of heat treating wood fiber is to provide certification to meet the phytosanitary requirements of wood fiber importing countries, infusion of moisture laden, saturated heated air using a closed loop system (301, 303a, 303b, 304a, 304b, 305, 310) within the holds of the ship with the heating apparatus being situated on the quay while the ship is being loaded with wood chips. The completed heat treating process renders the cargo acceptable for issuance of a phytosanitary certificate.

Green smoking tips and methods of mass manufacturing of green smoking tips comprising extracting volatile compounds and carbonizing hollow plant stem cuts.

This invention concerns a heat treatment device intended to be associated with an intermodal container (3) loaded with logs, comprising a pressurized water steam supply line (1). Said heat treatment device is particular in that it comprises at least one, preferably two, substantially rectilinear tube (2), provided with a plurality of openings distributed over its length and circumference, said at least one tube (2) being intended to be introduced from the rear into said intermodal container (3) loaded with logs, and to be supplied by said pressurized water steam.

This invention also concerns a method that can be implemented by means of a device depending on the invention.

A method of treating an elongate wood member is provided, the wood member having an outer surface and a cross-section. The method includes (1) forming a plurality of holes into the outer surface of the wood member; (2) introducing a treatment composition which includes a boron-containing compound into the plurality of holes; and (3) steam treating the wood member for a duration of from about 15 minutes to about 24 hours, the steam having a temperature of from about 80 C. to about 150 C. The steam treatment causes the boron-containing compound to diffuse from the formed holes into the cross-section of the wood member.

A wood heating system comprises an electric power source, a first electrode assembly, a second electrode assembly, and a control system. The first electrode assembly is connected to the electric power source and is adapted to make electrical contact with a first end of a wood length to apply electric power to the wood length. The first electrode assembly comprises at least two electrode segments. The second electrode assembly is adapted to make electrical contact with a second end of the wood length. The control system is adapted to selectively connect/disconnect electric power flow between the electric power source and at least one electrode segment of the first electrode assembly.