UTILIZATION OF DEAD WOOD IN PULPING: CURRENT STUDIES ON THE PROCESSING OF SPRUCE BUDWORM-KILLED BALSAM FIR.

Initial results are presented of a four-year study on the effects of length of time since death on the processing characteristics of stump-stored budworm-killed balsam fir from two regions in Ontario and one in Minnesota. As length of time since death increases, wood density decreases, wood losses in debarking increase, chip quality decreases and 1% caustic solubility of chips increases. All these effects combine to increase the net cost of fiber at the processing point. Principles for evaluating dead or diseased wood in general are described and are applied to budworm-killed material to indicate the importance of a comprehensive evaluation prior to decision making on the use of budworm-killed wood in pulping and the salvaging strategy to be followed. A number of possible strategies for salvaging budworm-killed wood are described and their advantages and disadvantages indicated.