Evaluating the Competition of Lignocellulose Raw Materials for their Use in Particleboard Production, Thermal Energy Recovery, and Pulp- and Papermaking

Abstract

There is increasing competition for raw materials between particleboard production, thermal energy recovery, and pulp- and papermaking. According to different scenarios, the consumption of lignocellulosic raw materials is increasing, which means that the competition is increasing. The primary production of lignocellulosic raw material in some regions may therefore reach the limit of sustainability; i.e., the lignocellulosic raw material must be used more efficiently to reduce the risk of a shortage. The physical and chemical properties of the lignocellulosic raw material of selected species have therefore been surveyed, and the raw material properties that are important for each of the three competitors have been defined. The aim of the study is to characterise the lignocellulosic raw materials according to the three competing users and to show whether they are high or low in competition. As methods, a relative ranking of the species regarding their raw material properties and regarding the requirements of the competitors as well as cluster analysis were chosen. The results show that the most favourable raw materials are from coniferous species, while monocotyledon species show an opposite trend.