Sustainable Materials and Technology Students Tour Arauco Plant in Moncure, NC.

In early November, Dr. Frederik Laleicke, an assistant professor and extension specialist in the Department of Forest Biomaterials, coordinated a tour to Arauco in Moncure, North Carolina, for the students of his Sustainable Composites and Biopolymers (SMT 444) course. Arauco is an international manufacturer of wood products based in Chile. The plant in Moncure produces medium and high density fiberboard that can be used for a wide range of applications, namely, in furniture, cabinets, flooring, and molding.

The tour was led by alumni of the Sustainable Materials and Technology degree program who are now employed at Arauco. Laleicke and his students were guided through the production process of medium density fiberboard. Starting from the beginning, with the delivery of wood chips, which are delivered by the truckload around 50-60 times a day, and ultimately ending with the production and storing of the fiberboard, which will be delivered to Arauco’s clients.

This tour provided Laleicke’s students with a tangible extension of their coursework given that SMT 444 focuses on the properties and processing of lignocellulosic composites and polymers. Students were able to see theory in practice as they observed Arauco’s manufacturing and testing of composites according to product, quality, consumer, and company standards.