Physical and chemical characterization of post-consumer wood chips for recycling

Post-Consumer Wood (PCW) is a valuable resource that could substitute virgin wood in many applications. However, its integration into the wood processing chain requires detailed information on composition, content of contaminants, size, and shape. Here, PCW collected over eight months from three sorting facilities in southeastern Norway was analyzed for suitability in recycling. Shredded PCW from 24 samples was manually sorted based on material origin, analyzed for heavy metal concentrations, and the particle geometry was measured with an automated laser scanner. Based on the results, 39-67 % of the mixed PCW was made up by clean wood particles suitable for recycling. Wood-based panels within the PCW were not only a source of contaminants (adhesives, coatings) but also decreased the length-to-width ratio of the resulting particles and chips. The median heavy metal concentrations did not exceed the limit values issued by the European Panel Federation. However, individual samples and the fine fraction (< 8 mm) exceeded these limit values. Manual pre-sorting before shredding into chips increased the share of clean wood particles, prevented elevated fiberboard contents and significantly reduced heavy metal concentrations.