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Kebony: A Sustainable Softwood Transformed into a Tropical Hardwood

"Equal or superior performance produced in a fast, sustainable way"

By Rain Noe - May 1

in Materials | Sustainability

For building durable structures and outdoor furniture, tropical hardwood Ipé is a gift from nature. Unfortunately, we've taken too much of it, devastating the tropical rainforest to produce boardwalks, decks and flooring for yachts.

A more sustainable alternative to Ipé has been developed in a very untropical climate: Skien, in southern Norway. There a company called Kebony has worked out a way to transform Radiata Pine, a softwood sustainably grown in New Zealand, into lumber with the durability and longevity of tropical hardwood. This transformed wood has the same name as the company, and it reportedly offers "equal or superior performance of tropical hardwood [but is produced] in a fast and sustainable way."

Here's what the stuff looks like:

"The biggest advantage Kebony has over Ipé is in stability. Kebony's modification process makes it very resistant to warping, cupping and splintering, which is a common problem with any tropical hardwood that leads to added waste."

Their process involves impregnating the pine with a proprietary "bio-based liquid" that polymerizes inside the wood, stabilizing the cell walls and making the wood exceptionally hard while reducing wood movement. The company won't reveal what the liquid is, though they do say it comes from agricultural waste. They claim the material is non-toxic and that at end-of-life the wood can biodegrade, or even be burned, without producing any ill effects on the environment.

I'm actually not wild about the resultant light/dark look of the Pine grain, as it resembles a bad staining job; but if it sustainably replaces Ipé I'm all for it, and I bet most customers won't even notice.

Shockingly, the company offers a 30-year warranty on the wood. (Coney Island's Ipé boardwalk lasted for 25 years, and that was considered amazing.)

You can learn more about the stuff here.

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Adam Nunn

6 months ago

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I wonder if this process is similar to creation of acetylized wood? (https://www.accoya.com/uk/acetylation-what-is-it-and-what-is-acetylated-wood/)

It sounds somewhat different because I don't think that acetylated wood becomes significantly harder or more impact resistant, but it does offer a very long life and stability from what I hear.

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- Ryan Cee
  
  Adam Nunn
  
  6 months ago
  
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  Maybe it does in comparison with pine, a notably soft wood?
  
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Paul Mcconnell

6 months ago

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We're using this on CO-OP live, Manchester, It absolutely does not stop cupping or warping in any way. It also cracks and splits quite easily. Something I don't see in hardwoods. Whilst it's brown at first it takes a few days of sun to go grey.
Oh, and when it rains it stained my hands.

I would not recommend it.

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Jeff Smith

6 months ago

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Based on the technical details on their website, this product is made using a process called furfurylation. They're using either southern yellow pine (group of 5 pine species) or radiata pine.

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Roly S

6 months ago

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About 20 years ago the New Zealand Forest Research Institute developed a similar product called Greenseal which was Pine saturated/impregnated with additional cellulose solution. It was really good to work with and I did a furniture project in it which I still have.

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