FROM THE WOODS

Incredible Wood

College of Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension

College of Agricultural Sciences • Cooperative Extension

AN EDUCATIONAL SERIES ABOUT FORESTRY FOR YOUTH ood is from trees keep producing more harvested from forests across also relates to how the wood is trees...but is that wood. the state to meet people’s cut from the tree and the tree’s all? Hardly! needs. growth pattern. Yet, many of W One reason we can use wood Wood is a natural, attractive, the products that are made for so many different things is versatile, and useful material from wood do not look like that there are many different WOOD STUFF that we use in thousands of wood at all. We use numerous species of trees. Each species ways. You may think you Just what is wood? Wood is wood products without ever of tree produces wood with its know many ways to use wood, the hard, fibrous, inner part of thinking of their connection own properties. For example, but you might be surprised. A trees and is mostly dead cell to wood. Here are the ways we some woods recent count walls. All wood is formed use the wood from are hard and listed over from the same five chemical Pennsylvania’s trees. some are soft; 5,000 products substances: cellulose, hemicel- some are flex- made with lulose, lignin, ash-forming ible and some LUMBER wood, and the minerals, and “extractive” are stiff. Ap- list keeps grow- chemicals. How these sub- Almost 70 percent of all the proximately ing. Wood is a stances vary in their volume trees harvested in Pennsylva- 30 of Pennsyl- truly renew- and characteristics is what give nia are used to produce lum- vania’s 108 able natural each species its unique ber. Lumber is simply tree species have commercial resource. If forests are cared wood properties. pieces of wood, importance; their wood is such as boards for and managed properly, Cellulose, hemi- or beams, cut cellulose, and from trees. lignins account More than 700 for about 97 per- sawmills across cent of all wood. Pennsylvania Cellulose and produce lumber. hemicellulose Most of our state’s are what make lumber (about 95 percent) up the wood’s is from hardwood trees. Hard- cell walls, and lignin acts like a wood trees have broad flat glue holding the cells together. leaves that drop every fall. The other two substances— They include red oak, sugar ash-forming minerals, and “extractive” chemicals—make up only about 3 percent of wood by weight. The ash- Wood is an forming materials are minerals incredibly the tree extracted from the versatile and environmentally soil. The extractive chemicals friendly are essentially the waste prod- material. ucts from when the tree’s cells were living. Extractive chemi- cals often give wood its color and odor. When people think of wood, Wood is a truly they think of its appearance. renewable natural Wood is attractive to look at, resource. If forests are cared for and managed and each species has its own properly, trees keep unique look or figure. Figure producing more wood. and durability are important. Pennsylvania’s hardwood lumber is known around the world for its quality and beauty. This valuable product is shipped to many countries in Europe and Asia. tissues, tickets, envelopes, Pennsylvania also boxes, bags, transfer papers, produces small art supplies, hospital gowns, quantities of soft- and newspapers, to name just Veneer, lumber, sawdust, wood lumber. Soft- a few, are all produced from wood strands, strips, and wood trees are those chips are used in the wood. that have needle leaves. Most manufacture of numerous engineered wood products Furniture is a major product needles stay green and at- of the wood industry. From HARDWOOD VENEER from Pennsylvania’s woods. elegant hardwood to tached to the tree year-round. economical softwood, wood Softwood trees include white Hardwood veneer is a very neered wood products from furniture can be found in pine and eastern hemlock. nearly every home or office. thin layer of wood sliced or Pennsylvania’s woods. Engi- Softwood lumber is largely peeled from logs or pieces of neered wood products are used for building construction, maple, white ash, and black lumber. It is usually made usually a mixture of wood siding, and paneling. cherry. The lumber from from the “highest quality” fibers or wood pieces mixed hardwood trees becomes fur- logs—those that have very few with glues. These products niture, doors, baseball bats, PAPER imperfections such as knots can be made with lower qual- and decay. The purpose of ve- ity trees and sawmill scrap toys, musical instruments, About 25 percent of all the neer is to cover a less attractive materials. They have many flooring, cabinetry, paneling, trees harvested in Pennsylvania or less valuable product with a useful applications. Laminated and many other items for go into paper and paper prod- more attractive wood. Veneer veneer lumber, laminated which attractive appearance ucts. There are several large covers tables, kitchen cabinets, paper mills in Pennsylvania. Each American uses over doors, and floors. It also cov- 700 pounds of paper, in its Paper is made almost entirely ers many musical instru- various forms, every year! from wood pulp. When wood ments such as guitars, is ground up and broken pianos, and or- down, either mechanically or gans. Only about chemically, two main things 2 percent of all the remain: wood cells (referred to trees cut in Penn- as “fibers”) and lignin. Wood sylvania are made pulp consists of individual into veneer. wood fibers with the lignin removed. We use both ENGINEERED hardwood and soft- WOOD wood trees for PRODUCTS making wood Veneer, lumber, saw- pulp. The dust, wood strands, Veneer covers tables, many uses of strips, and chips are kitchen cabinets, doors, and paper are mind- floors. It also covers many used in the manufac- musical instruments such as boggling. Books, ture of numerous engi- guitars, pianos, and organs. lumber, fiberboard, ceiling Prepared by: Sanford S. Smith, tiles, strand board, and par- Wood in ice cream? natural resources and youth extension specialist, and Lee R. ticleboard are examples of Stover, extension wood prod- engineered wood products. ucts specialist. Appreciation to Holgate Toys, WOOD CHEMICALS OAKWORKS Inc., Paul Downs Cabinetmakers, and Pennsylva- Wood is also used to pro- nia House Furniture for their assistance with some of the duce chemicals. Cellulose, photos used in this publication. hemicellulose, and lignin This publication was produced are the source of most of with support from the Pennsyl- these chemicals. Wood vania Hardwoods Development chemicals become things Council, Pennsylvania Depart- ment of Agriculture. like cosmetics, rayon cloth, Believe it or not, wood is a component of that creamy ice cream cone and many other products that cellulose sponges, photo- Visit Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences “wood” surprise you, like cosmetics, rayon cloth, on the Web: http://www.cas.psu.edu graphic films, food addi- cellulose sponges, photographic films, food additives, salad dressing, shampoo, and toothpaste. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences re- tives, and fillers for many search, extension, and resident education pro- types of plastics. Wood grams are funded in part by Pennsylvania coun- FIREWOOD best to use for firewood. ties, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the chemicals and components U.S. Department of Agriculture. Hardwoods burn longer are found in ice cream, salad Wood is also useful as a This publication is available from the Publications and give off more heat per Distribution Center, The Pennsylvania State Uni- dressing, shampoo, and fuel. Trees capture the sun’s versity, 112 Agricultural Administration Building, unit volume than softwoods. University Park, PA 16802. For information tele- toothpaste. Manufacturers energy to produce sugars. phone 814-865-6713. often use cellulose gum These sugars are used to INCREDIBLE WOOD Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension made from wood to thicken Work, Acts of Congress May 8 and June 30, produce cellulose, hemicel- 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department and smooth foods and other lulose, and lignin for grow- The next time you think of Agriculture and the Pennsylvania Legislature. T. R. Alter, Director of Cooperative Extension, The items. While very little of ing wood. When wood is about wood, think about all Pennsylvania State University. Pennsylvania’s wood actually burned, energy is released as the important products you This publication is available in alter- ends up in these types of heat. Tens of thousands of enjoy and use from it. Wood native media on request. products (our hardwoods homes in Pennsylvania heat is beautiful to look at and The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access are more valuable when with firewood. Wood fuel fascinating to work with. to programs, facilities, admission, and employ- ment without regard to personal characteristics used as lumber), many of can also be used to generate Wood is an incredible mate- not related to ability, performance, or qualifica- these wood chemical-using tions as determined by University policy or by electricity. Smaller and rial useful in thousands of state or federal authorities. It is the policy of the products are produced in crooked trees that are not ways, and it’s a truly renew- University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including the state. useful for lumber are the able natural resource. harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disabil- ity or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Direct all inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Willard Building, University Park, PA 16802-2801, Tel 814-865-4700/V, 814- 863-1150/TTY.

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© The Pennsylvania State University 2002

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Wood is useful as a fuel for heating homes and generating electricity.