| Product Description
TigerBoard, a certified structural panel, will be available in the fall.
TigerBoard is the first structural-grade, “tree-free” and sustainable building product manufactured from agricultural waste wheat straw. TigerBoard panels are designed for roof and wall sheathing in residential and commercial wood-frame construction.
TigerBoard is designed to meet the physical and structural certification requirements of its wood-based counterparts, plywood and oriented strand board (OSB). It will be Structural 1 rated, meaning that it will meet additional requirements for cross-panel strength and stiffness. It will have an Exposure 1 bond durability classification, indicating that it retains its structural integrity after construction delays and exposure to moist conditions.
Furthermore, the patented production technology for TigerBoard has produced panels that are stronger than the required standard for commercial-grade plywood and OSB. The process involves splitting the wheat straw strands longitudinally to allow for more binder surface area and a high strength-to-stiffness ratio. Fibers of wood used to produce plywood and OSB have comparable tensile strength to wheat straw fibers. However, individual wheat straw fibers, when blended with MDI and subjected to heat and pressure, inter-weave (unlike wood strands), producing a stronger panel than wood-based counterparts.
TigerBoard is engineered for strength and designed to have these additional performance advantages over its wood-based counterparts:
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- Better dimensional stability and less edge swelling: The natural wax content in straw provides resistance to moisture. Additionally, the split straw mixed with MDI offers greater moisture resistance. A greater moisture resistance decreases swelling and warping and provides better stability in the panel.
- Lighter: Although the weight of OSB varies (depending on the species used), on average, TigerBoard is lighter than southern yellow pine OSB or aspen OSB panels of equal size and thickness. Due to its lighter weight, TigerBoard will be easier to handle on the job and it will be less expensive to ship.
- More rot- and termite-resistant: Wheat straw is inherently resistant to rot. Few organisms are able to decompose straw, which is why it is so often burned rather than put back into the soil. Additionally, termites don’t eat straw; their diets are limited to wood.
- More fire-resistant: High silica content in wheat straw fibers makes them naturally fire-resistant. TigerBoard panels will have a lower flame spread rating than wood-based panels.
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| TigerBoard also has significant environmental attributes and benefits: |
- Conserves our dwindling forests, by using an agricultural waste product rather than wood
- Provides a sustainable solution to an agricultural waste disposal problem (waste wheat straw is abundant and the typical method for disposing of it is to burn it, which creates CO2 emissions)
- Uses less energy in the manufacturing process than alternatives
- Helps protect indoor air quality, because it has a formaldehyde-free resin binder
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TigerBoard will be backed by a 50-year warranty. |
