Annual plants

Research achievement "annual plants" – from waste product to raw material

So what will the board of the future look like, thinking ahead to the challenges, the limited resources and climate protection?

We recognized the incredible potential of annual plants early on and conducted research in close collaboration with ambitious producers of wood-based materials.

Annual plants are plants, for which from germination of the seed to formation of the entire plant and on to maturity of the new seed, only one vegetation period is required. After maturity of the seed, they die, wither or rot.

In our efforts to use these plants as a resource, we are confronted with numerous challenges – for instance, scarcity of timber, lack of wood resources in countries that can only enter into board production with the aid of new, imported raw materials.

An example: Since 2007 we have been researching the suitability of rice straw as a raw material for board production. This was the impetus in 2017 for a large order from the US: CalAg LLC ordered a plant for production of fibreboard from rice straw. Thus the natural raw material available in large quantities in California is adequately used!

The Egyptian company WOTECH is also positioning itself in the areas of environmental protection and resource efficiency with a rice straw based, MDF plant made by Siempelkamp. The new plant is regarded as a fundamental contribution in support of government efforts in Egypt to implement an eco-friendly, CO2 reducing, and sustainable use of rice straw. Import dependencies are also resolved.

Resources efficiency/Annual plants:
Our Research:

Rice straw: At Siempelkamp, rice straw as raw material for board production has been a focus area of research and development since 2007. Such use is attractive for regions where the burning of the rice straw from wet rice cultivation is prohibited for environmental reasons.
Wheat straw: Like rice straw, wheat straw is an annual plant that is suitable for board production – an agricultural waste product advances to a valuable raw material.
Bamboo: Siempelkamp recognized the potential of the bamboo plant for the wood-based materials industry early on. Some bamboo species grow faster than any other plant and they even exceed most types of wood in their mechanical and technological properties.
Date palm: In many regions of the world the leaves and the date palm itself have a special economic significance – as produce, livestock feed or construction wood. The leaves of the palm are suitable for board production, a factor that compensates for the decline in wood resources from traditional cultivation.
Oil palm: The oil palm is indigenous to all tropical regions of the world. When processed, its leaves, the fruit stocks and the trunk constitute an alternative to classic tree populations; its technical and economic potential are promising.
Hemp: Due to its problem-free cultivation and complete usability, the hemp plant is a popular, fast-growing raw material. Hemp hurds (also known as shives) are similar to classic wood materials in many aspects; boards manufactured from hemp are characterised by good flexural strength with minimal density.
Canola: Canola is among the crops that contain wood fibre, its economic significance is being substantially extended through use in the wood-based materials industry. The processing of its oil into vegetable oil or fuel, is being extended here in accordance with the principle " From waste product to raw material".
Tomato: The tomato plant is a herbaceous plant with branches that can grow to lengths of 16 to 20 meters in greenhouse cultures. Originating in Central and South America, today the plant is cultivated around the world – China is the largest producer of tomatoes. The global occurrence of the plant, as well as its mechanical properties substantiate the interest in its use for the wood-based materials industry.
Grass: Grasses and reeds are categorically suited for production of wood-based materials. Previously use has only occurred in a limited scope.
Shredded wood: Shredded wood is produced through the shredding of small-diameter wood and logs and garden waste with dull, smashing tools. Thus wood chips are produced that are used in the wood-based materials industry as a new raw material.
Recovered wood: Recovered wood is considered a classic secondary raw material, which after first use, is not considered waste, but instead is put to a new energetic or material use. Thus recovered wood finds a new use, not only through combustion in biomass plants, but also in the wood-based materials industry.
Waste paper: Waste paper is regarded as a raw material with high utilisation potential. It is used in blending with plastics, as well as in its pure form for the production of fibreboard. Use of waste paper can make a considerable contribution towards relieving landfills; currently its use is increasing at a significant rate.
Plastic: Plastic is available in large quantities and in various blends for use in the board industry. Well-known examples are terrace boards and profiles of Wood Plastic Compound (WPC). There is increasing interest in hybrid processing of construction board from shredded waste paper and plastic waste.

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