An oriented polymer composition (OPC) article comprising a body having a length, which is greater than any perpendicular dimension, comprised of an OPC having a softening temperature, the body having an outer surface extending the length of the body, having polymer strands aligned in the lengthwise direction of the body, wherein the length dimension stability is greater than 99% when tested by heating the article for 24 hours at temperatures at least up to and including 71 degrees Celsius after completion of the manufacture of the article and processes for forming said article.

An engineered wood based siding, cladding or panel with a microstrand interface layer (MIL) applied to the top of the main strand matrix layers to minimize telegraphing, add rigidity and strength, and provide an improved surface appearance. The MIL comprises microstrands applied to the surface of the strand matrix or mat during production, prior to deposition of a fines layer. The MIL prevents the loss of fines into the strand matrix, and helps prevent or eliminate strand telegraphing.

A cloud-based system network for verifying and documenting prefabricating Class-A fire-protected wood-framed buildings produced from a prefabricated Class-A fire-protected wood-framed building factory system supporting multiple production lines for producing Class-A fire-protected wood-framed components including wall panels, floor panels, stair panels, floor trusses, and roof trusses for use in constructing custom and pre-specified prefabricated Class-A fire-protected wood-framed buildings. The system network includes (i) a data center with web, application and database servers for supporting a web-based site for hosting digital images of barcoded/RFID-tagged certificates attached to prefabricated Class-A fire-protected wood-framed building components, and other certification documents, and (ii) mobile smart-phones used to capture digital photographs and video recordings of Class-A fire-protected wood-framed building sections, and upload the captured digital images to the data center, for each prefabricated wood-framed building project, so that building purchasers, insurance companies, builders, architects and other stakeholders can review such certifications and documentations during the prefabrication of wood-framed buildings from the factory system.

A novel oriented strand board (OSB) may be provided comprising recycled wood flakes that have been obtained by flaking of recycled wood at least in a core layer. A process may be provided for producing a corresponding oriented strand board. An apparatus may be provided by which the oriented strand board can be produced.

Disclosed is a process for the treatment of wood strands suitable for the manufacture of OSB boards, in which the wood strands are treated with steam without drying after extraction, the steam being passed over the wood strands at a temperature between 80 C. and 120 C. and a pressure between 0.5 bar and 2 bar. Also disclosed is a process for the production of OSB wood-based boards including the steps of a) producing wood strands from suitable wood logs; b) treating at least part of the wood strands with steam; c) drying the steam-treated wood strands; d) gluing the steam-treated and dried wood strands and gluing the non-steam-treated wood strands with at least one binder; e) scattering the glued wood strands onto a conveyor belt; and f) pressing the glued wood strands into an OSB wood-based board.

An improved blending apparatus for manufactured wood products with a rotating blending drum or cylinder with a pattern of alternating flights of different configurations extending from the interior of the drum. The flights lift the strands as the drum rotates to different heights before the strands free-fall back to the bottom of the drum. One flight is shorter, and may be trapezoidal in cross-section. The second flight is taller, and may have a bull-nose configuration with substantially vertical sides. During operation, the design of the bull-nose flight tends to hold more strands and to carry them closer to the top of the drum before the strands drop and fall. In contrast, the shorter height and angled sides of the trapezoidal flight tends to hold fewer strands and to not carry them as high along the side before strands drop and fall. The alternating pattern causes a more consistent and dispersed fall of strands as the drum rotates, resulting in a significantly larger and more consistent amount of the sprayed adhesives and waxes being applied to the strands, and not passing through gaps to build up on the drum wall.

A process for the production of OSB wood-based panels including: a) producing wood strands from suitable wood logs; b) treating at least part of the wood strands with steam at a temperature between 80 C. and 120 C. and a pressure between 0.5 bar and 2 bar; c) drying the steam-treated wood strands; d) gluing the steam-treated and dried wood strands and, optionally, gluing the non-steam treated wood strands with at least one binder; e) scattering the glued wood strands onto a conveyor belt; and f) pressing the glued wood strands into an OSB wood-based board. The steam treatment takes place after the wood strands have been produced and made available, or after the wood strands have been sifted and separated according to the use of the wood strands for the middle and top layers of the panel. Also, an OSB wood-based panel made using the process.

In one embodiment, a method for making a high density structural composite includes depositing a plurality of fibrous materials on or adjacent a first plate or surface. A polymer liquid is deposited onto the plurality of fibrous materials to form a composite mixture. A first cyclic pressure is applied onto the composite mixture to compress the composite mixture. In some embodiments, the cyclic pressure may then be reduced to a valley pressure to complete a pressurization cycle. In some instances, the valley pressure may be below atmospheric pressure to induce trapped air and volatile gases to escape from the composite mixture before curing. The pressurization cycle may be repeated. A second pressure, which may be a constant pressure in some embodiments, may be applied to the composite mixture using, in some embodiments, a second plate until the polymer liquid has at least partially cured or partially solidified.

This method for manufacturing a high-density strand board enables high-density strand boards to be formed by using about the same press pressure as press pressures required to form strand boards with common densities, so that the high-density strand boards can be produced without using special facilities and equipment. A pretreatment process P2 is performed on strands 5 before pressing. The pretreatment process P2 is comprised of a first treatment process P2a and a subsequent second treatment process P2b. At least one of beating, high-frequency treatment, high-temperature high-pressure treatment, high-water pressure treatment, repeated deaeration and dehydration treatment, and chemical treatment is performed in the first treatment process P2a, and roll pressing or flat press pressing is performed in the second treatment process P2b. A strand board B with a density of 750 to 950 kg/m.sup.3 is formed by using a press pressure of 4 N/mm.sup.2 or less.

A novel oriented strand board (OSB) may be provided comprising recycled wood flakes that have been obtained by flaking of recycled wood at least in a core layer. A process may be provided for producing a corresponding oriented strand board. An apparatus may be provided by which the oriented strand board can be produced.