The classification of wood depends entirely on the degree of physical alteration it has undergone since being harvested. In its initial form, wood is a primary commodity, but minimal manufacturing steps quickly transform it into an intermediate product. This dual nature reflects its position within the industrial supply chain, making wood a unique and adaptable material, foundational to numerous global industries.
Defining Raw Materials and Primary Inputs
A raw material is defined as a substance extracted directly from nature that has undergone only minimal alteration. These primary commodities represent the starting point of any manufacturing process, forming the first link in the supply chain. They are characterized by their natural variability and their need for substantial transformation before becoming a finished product.
Examples of raw materials include crude oil, iron ore, and cotton fiber, all sourced directly from the environment. Once these materials are refined or manufactured, they become a processed material, or an intermediate good. This category includes semi-finished products, such as steel ingots or refined petroleum distillates, which have been physically or chemically changed from their original state.
Wood as a Naturally Occurring Commodity
The status of wood immediately following harvesting aligns perfectly with the definition of a raw material, or a primary commodity. The felled tree, or the resulting log, is referred to in the industry as “wood in the rough” or “roundwood.” The only processing steps involved at this stage are felling, delimbing, and cutting the trunk into transportable lengths, which are considered minimal alterations necessary for handling and transport.
This roundwood, which includes sawlogs and pulpwood, is essentially the wood structure of the tree. For the sawmills and pulp mills that acquire this roundwood, it is the unprocessed, foundational input for their entire production process.
Classification Changes After Primary Processing
The moment a raw log enters a primary processing facility, its classification begins to change as it is transformed into an intermediate good. Primary processing typically involves debarking, sorting, and sawing the log to produce rough-sawn lumber, planks, or cants. This step physically changes the log’s dimensions to market specifications, creating a product that is no longer “wood in the rough.”
Products like dimensional lumber, wood chips, and wood pulp are considered processed materials because they are manufactured inputs for secondary industries. A two-by-four is a manufactured product of the sawmill, having been cut, edged, and trimmed to a standard size. Wood chips and particles are the immediate feedstock for panel products like particleboard or for the chemical pulping process. Further steps, such as kiln drying and planing, stabilize the wood’s moisture content and smooth its surface, solidifying its status as a manufactured, value-added product.
Wood as a Feedstock Across Major Industries
The versatility of wood makes it a fundamental feedstock across a spectrum of major global industries. The most significant destination is the construction and building materials sector, which relies heavily on products derived from wood to frame residential and commercial structures. This sector uses sawn lumber, engineered wood products like glulam beams, and wood-based panels such as plywood and oriented strand board.
The pulp and paper industry uses lower-grade roundwood and wood residue to produce wood pulp for paper, cardboard, and packaging. Wood is also a major feedstock in the bioenergy and biochemical sectors, converted into wood pellets for electricity generation or used as a source of purified cellulose.