Last Updated January 24, 2005
Forest Products Laboratory (FPL)
Providing information on wood housing, forest products technologies, commercial opportunities, and current research and development programs
The USDA Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), established in 1910 in Madison, WI, serves as a centralized wood research laboratory and a clearinghouse for information on the uses of wood. FPL's research and demonstration programs are accomplished through coordinated partnerships involving industry, university, and government.
Innovations developed at the Forest Products Laboratory are patented and licensed for use in private companies for commercial application. The Forest Service Patent Program coordinates its services with the USDA Office of Technology Transfer.
The Technology Marketing Unit of the FPL serves as a focal point for transferring information by matching customer needs with existing research. The general public, industry, regulatory agencies, state and private foresters, educators, and other government agencies and organizations use FPL information to build better wood homes, solve wood use problems, or develop improved wood processing systems.
Project Examples
Examples that relate to value-added wood products
and commercial applications of FPL technologies
include:
- An examination of new ways that small-diameter and low-valued trees can be used. Material that contributes to the rapid, explosive growth of catastrophic forest fires can be used to build homes, clean up contaminated water, or help control erosion. Engineered wood products, wood fiber water filters, and wood fiber erosion control materials can help improve the health of the forests while meeting our nation's need for homes and clean water. New industries based on such technologies provide opportunities for rural communities to create new enterprises based on a forest resource that has previously had no commercial value.
- An investigation into the potential of converting low-grade hardwood lumber into structural components such as trusses and I-joists. Producers of hardwood lumber could increase profitability if much of the hardwood resource was converted to high-value products and if they had more lucrative markets for residual materials. This technology holds promise increasing utilization efficiency, providing jobs, and stabilizing rural economies.
- Work with the U.S. Postal Service to ensure that the extremely popular pressure-sensitive adhesive stamps pose no problems to recycling of postal materials. Currently, most pressure-sensitive adhesives in general create major removal problems to mills recycling recovered papers.
Application and Financial Information
Potential users can call or search the FPL website
for answers to their technical problems. FPL
staff will provide information upon request, help
develop the information required, or help identify
alternative sources of information or expertise.
No financial assistance is available, although some of the technologies need partners to help demonstrate or evaluate new technologies. Although FPL provides no financial assistance to the private sector for development of cooperative agreements, it can help private-sector partners find appropriate sources of capital either through other USDA agencies or participating state government incentive programs.
Eligibility, Uses, and Restrictions
Anyone can request technical information.
Information on commercial opportunities and technology
transfer programs is provided upon request.
Contact
USDA Forest Service
Public Affairs Staff
Forest Products Laboratory
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53726-2398
Phone: (608) 231-9200
E-mail: mailroom_forest_products_laboratory@fs.fed.us
Internet
www.fpl.fs.fed.us/
