BACKGROUND
The development of new process technology to produce structural
products from cellulose pulps has been an active area of
research at the USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory
(FPL). A decade ago, Setterholm (1) introduced the unique
method of forming a three-dimensional, waffle-like structure
from molded wood pulp. He called the board “Spaceboard”
because of the open cells or “space” between the ribs of the
“board” (Figure 1). At the time, Setterholm envisioned producing
a Spaceboard panel that would have strength characteristics
similar to that of corrugated boxboard but could be produced in
1
The Forest Products Laboratory is maintained in cooperation
with the University of Wisconsin. This article was written and
prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and
it is therefore in the public domain and not subject to copyright.
The use of trade or firm names is for reader information and
does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture of any product or service.
a one-step forming process. Additionally, the process could
accommodate underutilized fiber sources such as mixed hardwoods
and wastepaper. These two goals set the stage for
several breakthroughs in molded pulp processing technology at
FPL. Subsequent process improvements were developed by
Hunt, Gunderson, Gleisner, and Scott (2-4). One of these
improvements was the development of a resilient mold containing
an array of hexagonal (hex) pads. Spaceboard panels
made from these hex molds results in the honeycomb rib
structure shown in Figure 2.
In 1992, the Spaceboard patents (5-9) were licensed for
specific fields of use in construction and furniture by Gridcore
Systems International (GSI). A Cooperative Research and
Development Agreement (CRADA) was initiated between FPL
and GSI to support the transfer of Spaceboard technology to
GSI. The hex mold concept was initially adopted because of
the many desirable features of the honeycomb panels. A
significant research effort was undertaken by GSI to produce a
new hex mold that would accommodate their production and
marketing needs. Spaceboard panels made from these molds
became known as GRIDCORETM panels. In 1993, GSI was
awarded a grant from the USDA Alternative Agricultural
Resource and Commercialization Center (AARC) to explore the
commercial potential of producing Spaceboard panels produced
from kenaf fiber.
This report is a preliminary evaluation of the physical and mechanical
properties of GRIDCORETM panels produced from
OCC, ONP, and kenaf as part of the AARC-funded study. All
panels were produced and tested at FPL as part of CRADA
activities.