Wood flour

The wood flour is grated wood ( " flour " ), which is obtained by sieving or grinding of wood chips or residues. Are also called wood flour, the fine wood particles carrying wood-inhabiting organisms while creating Bohrgängen from the wood.

High quality wood flour is usually produced from hardwood, lower qualities of softwoods such as pine or fir wood. The smaller the particle size, the lower is the influence of the type of wood. Important for further processing are the water and ash content as well as the proportion of resins, fats and waxes.

Composition

The wood flour correspond in their composition largely of wood and contain alpha-cellulose (up 55%), hemicellulose (up 25%), lignin (30% ), water (up 6%) and minerals as well as waxes and fats.

Use

The majority of the wood flour is used in producing linoleum.

Wood flour is used as a filler for plastics, bakelite, and polypropylene. More recently, so-called wood-plastic composites ( WPC) have a strong attention. The wood flour content in these wood-plastic composites can be up to 80%. These materials can with molding processes of plastic technology (extrusion, injection molding sometimes also ) are processed and often have a wood -like appearance.

In addition to the use as a material component of wood flour is used as an additive in the manufacture of explosives. In the foundry art wood flour is used as an additive to form sand.

During fumigation of food is wood flour using a spicy smoke flavor in sausages, ham, fish, and cheese to create. The wood used for wood flour production may not have been treated with wood preservatives or pesticides.