Trees are highly versatile resources, providing raw materials that extend far beyond simple lumber. They are complex biological structures that supply foundational ingredients for industrial chemicals, textiles, medicines, and food. Products derived from trees can be categorized based on whether they utilize the tree’s physical structure, its reformed fibers, or its chemical extracts.
Structural and Construction Materials
The most direct use of the tree involves utilizing the wood’s inherent strength and physical structure to create durable building materials. Timber is classified into hardwoods, from deciduous trees like oak and maple, and softwoods, from conifers like pine and spruce. Softwoods are generally used for framing and structural applications due to their faster growth rate and lighter weight. Hardwoods are chosen for furniture, flooring, and decorative veneer because of their density and attractive grain patterns.
Lumber is milled from the tree trunk into standardized dimensions. However, the need for structural components with greater stability led to the development of engineered wood products. These materials bond smaller pieces of wood together with adhesives to create materials with superior performance.
Plywood is a widely recognized engineered product, manufactured by layering thin sheets of wood veneer with the grain of adjacent layers oriented perpendicularly. This structure provides exceptional strength and resistance to warping. Oriented Strand Board (OSB) is a cost-effective alternative, created by compressing and bonding thin wood strands with waterproof resins to form strong panels for sheathing and subfloors. Glulam, or glue-laminated timber, is made by bonding three or more layers of dimensioned lumber with parallel grains to form large beams or columns capable of long spans.
Cellulose Fiber Products
Processing wood involves breaking down the structure to isolate cellulose, the primary carbohydrate component of plant cell walls, and then reforming it into new products. This method yields materials that are flexible, absorbent, or suitable for packaging. Paper is the most pervasive example, created when wood fibers are pulped to separate the cellulose from lignin, the wood’s natural binder.
The purified cellulose fibers are suspended in water and drained through a mesh screen, allowing them to interlock and form a cohesive sheet upon drying. Variations in this process produce cardboard and other paperboard products used for packaging and insulation. Beyond traditional paper, regenerated cellulose materials are synthesized for textiles and films.
Rayon, a semi-synthetic textile fiber, is produced when wood pulp is chemically treated, often using the viscose process, to convert the cellulose into a soluble compound. This solution is then extruded into an acid bath that regenerates the cellulose back into solid filaments, mimicking the drape and feel of natural fibers like silk. Cellophane is a thin, transparent film of regenerated cellulose, created by extruding the solution through a slit, primarily used for food packaging.
Essential Extracts and Resins
Trees are rich sources of complex chemical compounds collected in liquid form from the sap, bark, or wood through tapping or distillation. Turpentine is a fluid obtained by distilling the resin harvested from living pine trees. It is used primarily as a specialized solvent in paints and varnishes.
Latex is another significant liquid extract, sourced predominantly from the Hevea brasiliensis tree, which provides the raw material for natural rubber. This fluid is tapped directly from the tree’s bark and is used to manufacture products ranging from tires to gloves. Resins and gums are also collected for various industrial applications, including the production of adhesives and thickeners.
Tannins are polyphenols extracted from the bark of various trees, known for their ability to bind to proteins. They were historically used in leather tanning, but modern applications include use as bio-based alternatives for industrial resins and adhesives. Sap collection provides sweeteners like maple syrup, which is the boiled-down xylem sap of the sugar maple tree.
Edible and Medicinal Tree Products
Trees provide biological products that contribute directly to human nutrition and health, often originating from the reproductive or protective parts of the plant. Fruits, such as apples, oranges, and avocados, are the mature ovaries of flowers and represent a primary global food source. Nuts, including walnuts, pecans, and almonds, are concentrated sources of protein and fats derived from the tree’s seeds.
Spices are often sourced from the bark or seeds, utilizing concentrated plant compounds for flavor and preservation. Cinnamon, for example, is the aromatic inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree. Many medicinal compounds are derived from tree extracts, often from the bark where protective alkaloids are concentrated.
A historically significant example is quinine, an alkaloid extracted from the bark of the Cinchona tree, native to the Andes. Quinine was, for centuries, the only effective treatment against malaria. The bark contains a mixture of alkaloids, which are still recommended for certain forms of malaria treatment.