Teak and mahogany are pricey woods – particularly for the environment. So Norwegian company Kebony is offering a green alternative – by transforming abundant softwoods such as pine and maple into hardwoods using biowaste. The patented process, “Kebonisation”, gives softwoods the durability, stability and hardness of hardwoods.
Based on the research of Canadian scientist Marc Schneider, Kebonisation involves treating softwood timber with furfuryl alcohol, a by-product of sugarcane production. The alcohol and wood are pressurised in a vat then heated to 110-120°C, which forces the alcohol to fuse into the wood’s structure. This strengthens the wood and locks in CO2. “The CO2 emissions from our maple product are less than ten percent of Burmese teak’s,” says Jan Nielsen, Kebony’s head of marketing.
Founded in 2007, Kebony sells products for between £32 and £80 per square metre, and expects to make in excess of £10 million in sales this year. Its wood has been used for a products including architect StokkeAustad’s cantilevered benches, Fiskars’ kitchen- knife handles and the tunnel structures that make up the KREOD pavilion, an Olympic exhibition structure near
The 02. The world’s going soft.
Sam Scott kebony.com