THIS TO THAT - TIMBER
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What is Timber? Timber is the most important element used for making furniture. It is also extensively used in the production of beams and planks. Lumber or timber, a wood that is capable of yielding the minimum size of a dimension and is generally produced from growing trees. It’s mainly used for building structures or for other reasons.
Timber is quite in demand as it finds its use for making building materials, furniture, and various other purposes.
According to the FAO (2020), Ghana has around 7.9 million hectares of wooded land, accounting for 35.0 percent of the total land area. There are about 7.6 million hectares of primary or otherwise naturally regenerated forest and approximately 297 thousand hectares of planted forest.
Despite the fact that Ghana produces a large range of tree species, the ten most significant Ghanaian wood species in terms of export value in 2014 are as follows (TIDD, Forestry Commission):
According to ITTO (2017), the Ghanaian industry generated around 2.6 million m3 of Roundwood in 2015, with the bulk of this amount utilized within the country due to the prohibition on exporting teak logs.
Ghanaian exports are sold around the world. Apart from overland export routes to neighboring African nations, the majority of timber is shipped through the two ports (GHPA, 2015) in the south: Tema and Takoradi. These ports have strong road links to the hinterland.
Various Uses of Timber
Fuel
Timber is mostly used for fuel. Around 40% of the timber harvested in the world's forests is used as fuel. However, the quantity of wood used as a fuel across the world varies with the use of other accessible alternatives such as coal. African and South American countries utilize a greater proportion of lumber as fuel, which is used for both commercial and domestic reasons.
Construction
Apart from fuel, the most important application of lumber is in the construction sector. Despite the fact that steel and concrete are widely used in the construction sector, timber is often used for bridges and home sections.
As the world's population grows, so does the number of building jobs; as a result, the use of wood has increased exponentially. Timber is commonly utilized in the manufacture of boxes, furniture, matches, and crates.
Plywood and Veneers
Timber is termed plywood when it is used in the shape of planks, which are woods that are generally cut into thin sheets and bonded together to produce a strong and durable material. These are more typically used for inside construction, such as doors and furnishings. Sheets of precious wood, such as mahogany, ebony, oak, and walnut, can also be used to make furniture.
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Fibreboards
Timber is also commonly used in fiber and particle boards. They are manufactured from sawdust, pulp, and other byproducts. Boards such as chipboard, blockboard, and hardboard are commonly used in the manufacture of furniture and any inside constructions such as ceilings and linings.
Pulp & Paper
Timber is in high demand in the paper and pulp industries. Timber, in general, comprises two substances: cellulose and lignin, which are utilized as the basis for pulping and extracting cellulose from paper. It should be noted that wood is not the only resource that can be used to manufacture paper; a variety of vegetable fibers may also be used to make paper.
Synthetic Textiles
The wood cellulose that serves as the foundation for synthetic fabrics is known as rayon. When cellulose is dissolved in caustic soda and carbon bisulphide and extruded via a spinneret, it generates viscose rayon filaments.
The rayon filaments may be combined to create 'fake silk,' which can then be cut into staple lengths. They will be spun, coloured, weaved, and finished in the same way as artificial silk is.
Other Uses
Timber is used in a variety of industries, including chemicals and dyestuffs. The introduction of resin and synthetic chemical dyes has supplanted these applications. It is also used to produce other products such as gum, tannin, medicines, and resin. Furthermore, timber is used to make a variety of different items, including prosthetic limbs, air dispensers, terraces, decks, balconies, beehives, cladding, sculptures, carvings, saunas, scaffoldings, bathtubs, shingles, and smoking products.
Timber is also used to make different sports equipment and musical instruments, as construction blocks for ships, buses, and trains, and as aesthetic items in homes and businesses such as displays and furniture. Timber is frequently utilized in minor building projects such as doors, windows, flooring, roofing, and fencing poles.
There are multiple advantages to employing lumber, including the fact that it is a 100 percent renewable resource, is environmentally safe, and has a variety of natural aesthetic features. Furthermore, lumber aids in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
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