Engineered wood products often have several advantages over traditional wood. Unfortunately, these products can also produce a variety of harmful air pollutants during the manufacturing process. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tightly regulates these emissions under the Clean Air Act, and several effective technologies are available to help control them. Here, we discuss engineered wood, the air pollutants emitted, and some of the top solutions available for controlling these emissions.
What is Engineered Wood?
Engineered wood is a category of wood products made by binding or fixing wood fibers, veneers, particles, or other forms of wood together with adhesives. There are many types of engineered wood products including Plywood, Oriented Strand Board (OSB), Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), Particle Board, Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), Glue-Laminated Timber (Glulam), Parallel Strand Lumber (PSL), Blockboard, and Hardboard.
Engineered wood products can be found everywhere thanks to their versatility and uniformity. Their applications are far-reaching. These products are utilized in the construction, cabinet, and furniture industries, as well as decorative and industrial applications.
The benefits of engineered wood are numerous. Most notably, engineered wood products tend to be more cost-effective and sustainable than solid wood. Engineered wood products can also be designed to be stronger and more durable than natural wood while also meeting specific manufacturing needs. In addition to meeting necessary strength requirements, engineered wood products are also less likely to warp, making them a preferable option for construction and manufacturing.
Air Pollution from Producing Engineered Wood
Engineered wood facilities can produce significant air pollution, predominantly in the form of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), Haihtuvat orgaaniset yhdisteet (VOC), and Particulate Matter (PM) throughout the manufacturing process.
The EPA has established regulations to reduce these emissions, like the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the Plywood and Composite Wood Products (PCWP) industry. These rules limit emissions of formaldehyde and other HAPs and set performance standards for dryers, presses, and other sources of pollution within these facilities.
Common Air Pollution Control Measures
Facilities are responsible for mitigating and controlling harmful emissions. Their efforts ensure that facilities comply with environmental regulations, protect workers, and minimize their negative environmental impact. Most facilities will utilize more than one form of air pollution control technology.
Some of the mitigation and control measures that facilities can employ include cyclones, baghouses, wet ESPs, thermal oxidizers, ACI and DSI systems, and wet scrubbers. Cyclones and multi-cyclones are often used during the initial stages of air pollution control for larger PM removal and utilize pneumatic conveyance systems to transport the material from within the facility to the collectors.
Baghouses or fabric filters can be extremely effective at capturing fine particles or dust. Wet electrostatic precipitators (wet ESPs) utilize electrostatic forces to remove PM from the airstream. Wet ESPs are great for damp or sticky exhaust gases and extremely effective for fine dust particles.
Additional emission control options include regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs), regenerative catalytic oxidizers (RCOs), activated carbon injection systems (ACI), wet scrubbers, and dry sorbent injection systems (DSI). Wet scrubbers and DSI systems remove a wide variety of contaminants from process gas streams including acid gases. ACI systems remove mercury and heavy metals.
RTOs and RCOs are two of the most widely accepted technologies for the destruction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and to some degree, odor. RCOs are similar in function to RTOs and are often incorporated when energy efficiency is a priority, or where the VOC concentration is low.
Air Pollution Control Equipment Benefits Extend to Wood Pellets and Other Industries
As discussed in one of our previous articles, Air Pollution Control systems benefit biofuel production and burning. This includes wood pellets. Wood pellets are made from compressed wood fiber and are typically generated from the leftover residuals made during the sawmilling process. Wood pellets can heat homes and offer an alternative to coal for industrial needs.
As with the production of engineered wood, the production of wood pellets can similarly produce harmful air pollutants. Selecting the right air pollution control equipment is essential to protecting workers and the environment and complying with environmental regulations.
LDX Solutions Helps Control Harmful Emissions
LDX Solutions is a proud partner in the entire wood products industry. We have become the number one supplier of emission controls for panelboard and wood pellet manufacturing – with thousands of installations in wood products facilities worldwide. We help facilities meet their air pollution control needs through every step of the manufacturing process. From wood pellets to building materials and everything in between, we are the partner you can trust. Contact LDX-ratkaisut today to learn more about our air pollution solutions.
