The understanding of what properties the fibre should have in order to give the right end-product paper properties, along with the type of processing, is a subject for a lot of research and development. Today the ability to measure fibre properties on-line is widely used for pulps. It is often necessary to measure many properties and variables in a process. The data collected is therefore almost always multivariate. It is very hard to analyse process data due to a lot of noises. Correlations between fibre and paper properties are hard to find, but this does not mean that correlations do not exist. Fibre properties, measured by the pulp analyser PulpEye, were investigated and correlations to paper properties were studied. The work was divided into three different studies. Study 1 was an investigation of historical process data, in study 2 pulp samples from the production was analysed and study 3 was a refiner setting trial, were different refiner segments, flows through refiners and intensities were studied. Both the group-plots and MVDA’s based on the historical process data in study 1, showed that the Scott Bond was increased with increased amount of kinks and curl for the unbleached pine pulp (softwood pulp). Coarseness measurements, made in the study of historical data, indicated that the coarseness was varying in such a large extent that it was believable that it had effects in the papermaking process. Another interesting fibre property, investigated in the refiner setting trial, was crill. The amount of crill is said to have strong correlation to paper strength. The analysis showed that the incoming pulp had different amount of crill and that the amount of crill after the refiners also was varying for the different samples. The development of crill at different kappa numbers and for pulps refined with different segments and refiner strategies should be further investigated. In this work it has been difficult to find correlations between fibre properties and paper properties in the refiner setting trial. This could have been due to small variations of the different parameters. This work showed that the normal production can be handled very well and variations are rather small. It can be seen though, that problems do appear when parameters are deviating from the normal case. An efficient way to work is to do measurements when the incoming pulp parameters are deviating. It should also be more investigated how the most common deviating pulp parameters should be handled in the refining process and at the board machine. The communication between the pulp production and the board machines is recommended to be further developed, especially when the pulp production have disturbances that can be affecting the refining and further the board production.

The purpose of this bachelor thesis was to investigate how charged groups within the pulp fibre affect the beatability and the strength of the papers. To obtain different levels of charges on the pulp it was carboxymethylated. The different pulp samples were beaten to different degrees to investigate how charges interact with the beating. A PFI-mill was used for the beating because of the relatively homogenous effect on the fibres and the low demand for pulp fibres for each beating. The influence of the amount of charged groups on the surface and bulk swelling, as a result of the beating process, was evaluated.   The fibres were then analysed in a Fibre tester and using a microscope to see what had happened to the fibre structure.  The results showed that the PFI-mill mainly affects the surface of the fibres. The beatability, defined as the swelling obtain for a specific energy input, was greatly increased by the introduction of charges. It was also shown that there is a possibility to replace some of the energy input in the mill with the introduction of charges to obtain the same swelling and strength.   Paper sheets were formed from the different samples and some mechanical properties were analyzed. It was shown that the strength was initially improved by the introduction of charges but the improvement was partially lost during the beating. At the highest rate of beating the difference in strength between the samples had disappeared. This can be explained by the fact that the fibres, from the sample with highest number of charges, were destroyed. Microscopic images showed that the fibre was delaminated and at some sites there were extreme balloon-like swellings / Syftet med detta examensarbete var att undersöka hur laddade grupper hos massafibrer påverkar malbarheten och styrkan hos de papper som tillverkats av dessa fibrer. För att skapa olika laddningsnivåer karboxymetylerades viss del av massan för att introducera laddade grupper, två delar av ursprungsmassan karboxymetylerades och en del användes som referensmassa.  De olika massaproverna maldes i olika nivåer för att undersöka hur laddningarna och malningen interagerade. En PFI-kvarn användes för att mala fibrerna då det endast krävs små mängder fibrer och denna typ av kvarn påverkar fibrerna relativt homogent. Fibrerna analyserades sedan i en Fibre tester och med ett mikroskop för att se vad som hade hänt med fiberstrukturen. Resultaten visade att en PFI-kvarn till största delen påverkar fibrernas yta.  Malbarheten, som definierades som den svällning som åstadkoms vid en viss energiinsats i form av malvarv i kvarnen, ökades markant då ytterligare laddningar fanns närvarande i fibrerna. Det visades också att det går att ersätta en del av malningen med introduktion av laddningar till fibrerna för att uppnå samma svällning och styrka. Pappersark tillverkades därefter av de olika massatyperna och några mekaniska egenskaper testades. Det visades att styrkan ökades initialt av introduktionen av laddningar men denna förbättring minskade vid malningen. Vid den högsta malgraden hade skillnaden mellan de olika massorna försvunnit. Det kan förklaras av att fibrerna, från den massatyp med mest laddningar, hade förstörts. På vissa ställen hade fibern helt delaminerats och extrema ballonglika svällningar fanns.

Lignin valorization is a key component of the total utilization of biomass in the biorefinery industry. Lignin has seen some use in several different applications, but a breakthrough is still yet to happen, and there is still a need to find more areas where lignin can be used as an alternative feedstock or as the main component. Lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) could be an alternative route towards lignin valorization offering many areas of application. However, research around LNPs still has to overcome many challenges, primarily related to the complex structure of lignin, with composition and structure of lignin depending on its botanical origin and on the pulping process used to isolate the lignin from other components in biomass. This study investigates how spruce lignin originating from Kraft and Organosolv pulping will affect the properties of lignin nanoparticles. Particles from organosolv spruce lignin were prepared using a solvent exchange method with acetone/water as solvent and water as antisolvent. This resulted in spherical LNPs with hollow centers, sizes ranging from 104.6- 270.3 depending on initial lignin concentration and average zeta-potential of -35mV. Comparing Organosolv LPN’s with Kraft LNPs produced with the same experimental procedure, reviled that Organosolv LNPs were larger in and had lower absolute zeta potential, presumably due to the kraft lignin having higher phenolic-OH content. Furthermore, a larger comparison is made with LNPs from previous studies which indicated that LNP properties are further dependant Mw of lignin raw material, phenolic-OH content, and the method applied to produce the particles. In conclusion, this study proves that the pulping process used to isolate lining will affect the properties of NPs. But to strengthen and generalize this conclusion beyond the limitations of this study, more experimental data are needed, to further investigate the relationship between LNP properties and the properties of lignin raw material. / En av utmaningarna för framtidens bioraffinaderier är att fullständigt utnyttja samtliga komponenter av råvaran. Historiskt sett har cellulosa varit den mest värdefulla komponenten av biomassan medan lignin har klassats som en biprodukt och har därför primärt bränts som bränsle vid framställning av pappersmassa. Även om lignin produceras på industriell skala saknas idag värdeskapande applikationsområden där lignin kan utnyttjas ur ett ekonomiskt hållbart perspektiv. Ett alternativ till valorisering av lignin är att använda det som råmaterial för framställande av nanopartiklar , vilket är ett relativ nytt område med stor potential framförallt inom biomedicin. Dock kvarstår en del utmaningar i forskningen runt lignin nanopartiklar. Framförallt relaterat till lignins komplexa och inhomogena struktur, som varierar beroende på botaniskt ursprung och vilken typ av massaframställningsprocess som används för att isolera ligninet från biomassan. Den här studien undersöker hur granlignin från två olika massaframställningsprocesser, Organosolv- och Kraftprocessen, påverkar egenskaper hos NP av lignin. Under den experimentella delen av arbetet framställdes NP från Organosolv granlignin, vilket resulterade i sfäriska och ihåliga partiklar som varierade i storlek mellan 104.5–270.3 nm, beroende på den initiala lignin koncentrationen, samt en genomsnittlig zeta potential kring -35 mV. Egenskaperna hos Organosolv nanopartiklarna som jämfördes med nanopartiklar av Kraflignin som producerats med samma metod. Slutsatsen drogs att organosolv partiklar var större och hade lägre absolut zeta-potential. Vilket troligtvis kan förklaras med den betydligt högre halten av fenoliska-OH enheter i Kraft ligninet. En bredare jämförelse med tidigare studier som producerat olika lignin nanopartiklar visar dessutom att molekylvikten, fenolisk-OH halt och produktionsmetoden, är bidragande faktorer till lignin nanopartiklars egenskaper. Sammanfattnings visar den här studien att den massaframställningsprocess som används för att isolera lignin kommer påverka egenskaperna hos lignin nanopartiklar. Men för att kunna generalisera och stärka slutsatsen krävs dock utökad experimentella, för att vidare undersöka hur lignin nanopartiklars egenskaper beror på egenskaperna hos ligninet som använts för att producera partiklarna.

Esteves et.al. 2020 visade att syrgasdelignifiering ökar den totala fiberladdningen men leder inte alltid till ökad pappersstyrka. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur fiberladdning påverkar massans egenskaper.  För att testa hypotesen att ökningen av dragstyrkan beror på den större mängd sekundärt finmaterial som orsakas av malningen, testades vissa egenskaper hos massan, såsom vattenabsorption, med och utan malning avmassan. Två kraftmassor med olika initialt kappatal, 91 respektive 52, syrgasdelignifierades med olika alkalilsats under varierad tid. De massor som hade den lägsta och högsta mängden totala fiberladdningar maldes med PFI-kvarn. Water Retention Value (WRV), Schopper-Riegler (SR), Fiber Saturation Point (FSP) och finmaterial analyserades. WRV testades också efter att finmaterialet avlägsnats från massan.  Resultaten tyder på att massan med en större ökning av den totala fiberladdningen jämfört med den kraftkokta massan vid ett givet kappantal kan resultera i en högre ökning av FSP och WRV. Massor med större ökning av den totala fiberladdningen bildade mer finmaterial vid malning, vilket resulterar i en högre ökning av SR. / According to a previous study from Esteves et. al. 2020, it was found that oxygen delignification can increase the total fiber charge but does not always increase the paper strength. This study aims to investigate how fiber charge has an impact on pulp properties.  To test the hypothesis that the increase in mechanical strength for the fiber is due to the bigger increase of secondary fines caused by the refining process, some properties of the pulp such as water holding capacity were tested with different treatments: refining and no refining. Two kraft cooked pulp with different initial kappa numbers of 91 and 52 were subjected to oxygen delignification with different alkali charges and reaction times. When the characterization tests such as, kappa number and total fiber charge measurement have been determined, the samples which had the lowest and the highest total fiber charge were PFI refined and other analysis such as, water retention value (WRV), Schopper-Riegler degree (SR), fiber saturation point (FSP), and fine content, were done. WRV was also tested without fines.  The results suggest that the pulp with a higher increase in total fiber charge when compared to the kraft cooked pulp at a given kappa number can result in a higher increase in FSP and WRV. A higher increase in total fiber charge can also have a high tendency to create fines, due to the higher swelling ability, resulting in a higher increase in SR.

Manufacturing industries in the United States continue to experience increasing pressure from foreign competition. Through decreasing product lead time, U.S. manufacturers can achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. Southern yellow pine manufacturing is an example of an industry that can benefit from product lead time reduction. This project involved a case study of a southern yellow pine lumber manufacturer. Value stream mapping was used to evaluate the current lead time for the lumber manufacturer as well as design future state systems. Current state evaluation discovered an average lead time of 35.3 days according to six months of inventory data. Four future state systems were developed according to current demand and had lead times ranging from 10.8 to 14.9 days. Lead time reduction was achieved through more closely synchronizing and planing operations with sawmill output. To illustrate the impact of lead time on financial performance, the amount of capital invested in inventory was evaluated for the current state value stream as well as the future state value streams. All of the future state capital inventory requirements were less than 50 percent of the current state capital inventory requirement. Implementation of future state value streams would allow the manufacturer to benefit from having more available capital. This research project also investigated the use of pull production at the softwood lumber manufacturing operation. Effective implementation of pull production would require improving headrig optimization programs, presorting material by grade before drying, little or no drying degrade, and reducing both drying and cooling time. Due to the technological requirements of pull production in lumber manufacturing, the system was not currently feasible for the lumber manufacturer. Future research efforts should be directed towards creating the technology necessary to economically implement pull production in the softwood sawmill industry. / Master of Science

The purpose of this thesis is, in collaboration with the Swedish company Innventia, to explore the possibilities of using paper machines to create fabric-like nonwoven materials. As part of a relatively new research-area, it serves as some of the ground knowledge that is needed to drive this field forward. The research of this thesis is born from the increasing need for more environmental friendly textiles, and to find new uses for the paper production facilities and companies that are currently experiencing a decline in paper production. The materials used in the research were produced with the Finnish handsheet former and the StratEx sheet-maker made by Innventia. The research consists of the following tests: Tissue Softness Analysis, (TSA), tensile strength and bending stiffness. The tests are done with different combinations of lyocell, PLA, softwood and dissolving pulp in the tested sheets. It is also tested if the lyocell can be a meaningful substitution for PLA in combination with softwood pulp and dissolving pulp when creating the fabric-like materials. In conclusion of this research it can be said that, compared to benchmarking samples like bedding sheets, table cloths and cotton shirts, the sheets created and tested are competitive alternatives to existing materials when it comes to softness. It also became clear that the tensile strength has to be increased to make fabric-like nonwoven materials applicable on the same level as existing textiles. Even so, it is still evident that there is a potentiality in the use of paper machines in the development and creation of new fabric-like materials.

i ABSTRACT I investigated aspects of the management of subterranean termites in the field by evaluating the protective values of preservative treated softwoods and evaluating the potential of softwoods conditioned by decay fungi or heat to produce termite monitoring and aggregating devices. As part of the investigation, it was necessary to: · develop assay techniques suitable for research into the natural resistance of timbers, the efficacy of wood preservatives and termite biology and foraging behaviour; and quantify variation in termite responses to untreated softwoods in various situations in the field using these techniques. Field bioassays were conducted with two Australian Coptotermes species to determine protection of pine sapwood afforded by borate compounds (Chapter 2). Coptotermes lacteus (Froggatt) was examined in winter and C. acinaciformis (Froggatt) in winter, spring and summer at two localities in Queensland. Hoop-(Araucaria cunninghamii Ait ex D. Don) and slash-pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.)-sapwood blocks were placed in plastic containers and attached to termite mounds or infested trees. Termite response was determined by mass losses over five weeks and modelled. Coptotermes lacteus was relatively benign in winter and for 1.0 and 2.5% mass losses of hoop-pine sapwood, borate retentions of 0.20 and 0.06% mass/mass (m/m) boric acid equivalent (BAE), respectively, were derived. With C. acinaciformis, for 1.0 and 5.0% mass losses of hoop-pine sapwood, borate retentions ranged from 0.49 and 0.25% BAE, respectively, in winter to 0.76 and 0.47% BAE, respectively, in late summer. For 1.0 and 5.0% mass losses of slash-pine sapwood in summer, borate retentions of 0.58 and 0.14% BAE, respectively, were derived for C. acinaciformis. These results support conclusions from earlier laboratory studies conducted elsewhere. Prevention of damage by field populations of termites was not achieved. Marked intercolony variation in response to borate compounds was demonstrated, highlighting the usefulness of this rapid technique. The need for long-term field exposure trials to calibrate the lunch-box technique and to facilitate technology transfer to industry, is indicated. For comparison, termite response to white cypress (Callitris glaucophylla Thompson and Johnson), a naturally termite resistant timber, is also reported. A field bioassay was conducted to evaluate responses of C. acinaciformis to untreated southern-yellow-pine (Pinus spp.), hoop-pine and slash-pine blocks (Chapter 3). Sapwood blocks were placed in plastic containers and attached to trees infested with the termites during summer. Containers with a test block of each of the timber species were prepared. These and other containers were exposed to termites for 10 weeks. Termite feeding response (“voracity”) was assessed for all blocks by determining the mass of wood consumed. Termite voracity differed among trees. Variation in termite responses to individual hoop-pine feeder-blocks within a container was appreciable and consistent between containers. Variation in termite responses to the test blocks was appreciable, with hoop pine being significantly more susceptible to termite attack than either slash pine or southern yellow pine. Southern yellow pine is a generic name for five species of pine which are difficult to separate reliably. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using “southern yellow pine” to ensure that samples are at least from the same species of pine and preferably from the same length of timber. The sensitivity of both the bioassay and the statistical tests was demonstrated. Of particular interest was the similar level of termite response to the test timbers in the two sections of the experiment. The usefulness of feeder-blocks to initiate reliable attack rather than to promote sustained attack, is worth further attention. Sapwood stakes of Australian-grown hoop pine, slash pine, radiata pine and North American-grown southern yellow pine were exposed to subterranean termite attack in an in-ground bioassay (Chapter 4). Stakes in bait containers and bare stakes were attacked by C. acinaciformis and Schedorhinotermes intermedius (Brauer). Susceptibility of these timbers was evaluated with regard to potential for termite monitoring and aggregation. Variation between timbers and difference between termite species are described. The relevance of these data to suppressing foraging populations of subterranean termites, in Australia, using insect growth regulators, is discussed. Four field bioassays were conducted using two species of Australian subterranean termites, C acinaciformis and C. lacteus (Chapter 5). Hoop-pine blocks decayed using 14 fungi for four weeks and for 10 weeks were subsequently conditioned using dry heating, freezing or moist heating, and then exposed to termites. Blocks decayed by Gloeophyllum abietinum [Persoon: Fries] Murrill, Trametes lilacino-gilva (Berkeley) Wright & Deschamps, Schizophyllum commune Fries and Rigidoporus undatus (Persoon) Donk and subsequently oven dried, were attacked the most. Oven drying generally enhanced termite feeding responses in these two field bioassays. In a third bioassay, blocks of five softwood timber species conditioned with two high temperature regimes were exposed to C. acinaciformis. Slash pine was attacked the least. Mean mass losses for hoop pine, Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea Morelet), radiata pine and the interspecific F1 hybrid between Caribbean and slash pine were not significantly different. For C. lacteus, slash and hoop-pine blocks were attacked the least while radiata pine was attacked the most. Additional heating at 105°C increased the susceptibility of most timber species. Relationships between heating duration and the consumption of hoop-pine-sapwood blocks were determined using results from a fourth bioassay. Heating the timber increased feeding responses for both termite species. The selective and rapid response of the termites highlights the usefulness of this field technique for multiple-choice bioassays. The cyclodiene termiticides were withdrawn from use, in Australia, as from 30 June 1995. Implications for the management of subterranean termites in Queensland are discussed. Community perceptions of the use of chemical pesticides and cost do not favour the widespread use of preservative treated timber in buildings. An integrated pest management approach to termite control is the likely direction for the future in Australia. A range of building techniques, regular inspections, and attention to factors that predispose existing buildings to termite attack can reduce the risk of damage from termites, but do not eliminate that risk. There will be an increased need for reliable preventative and remedial treatments involving bait technology. Much more work is needed on termite biology, foraging behaviour and bait toxicants before a baiting system can be confidently commercialised in Australia. Directions for research in Queensland are discussed.

Le comportement à la rupture du bois résineux est étudié à l’échelle du cerne de croissance, dite échelle mésoscopique. Un modèle élastique cohérent est obtenu à l’aide de l’usage combiné de la corrélation d’image numérique et de la simulation par la méthode particulaire NairnFEAMPM. Le comportement mécanique établi du bois est alors celui d’un composite multicouche orthotrope et cylindrique agrémenté de renforts radiaux que sont les rayons ligneux. La mise en place d’un modèle mécanique adéquat, appuyé sur divers essais expérimentaux sert alors de fondation à l’étude des mécanismes de rupture de l’épicéa dans le plan transverse. A l’échelle mésoscopique, les mécanismes de rupture sont dépendants de variables locales telles que la position de la pointe de fissure dans le cerne ou bien l’orientation des directions principales du matériau par rapport à celle de la sollicitation. La mise en place d’un critère de rupture en énergie se base sur l’estimation et la mesure des taux de restitution d’énergie locaux et de leurs valeurs critiques locales. Pour cela, divers essais de tractions sont réalisés à l’aide d’un montage spécifique permettant l’observation in situ du processus de fissuration sous microscope et la mesure pas à pas des paramètres de rupture. La méthode particulaire NairnFEAMPM combinée à l’algorithme CRAMP permet ensuite l’étude numérique, la comparaison et la mise en place de critères de rupture locaux. Des mécanismes de rupture spécifiques tels que la bifurcation de fissure, l’arrêt local ou bien la création de fissures secondaires trouvent alors une explication à travers les critères de rupture mésoscopiques proposés. L’analyse succincte du séchage transverse du bois par quelques essais expérimentaux et modélisation numériques via la méthode du point matériel NairnFEAMPM indique des pistes d’études intéressantes relatives aux phénomènes de fissuration sous sollicitation hydrique. / This study is based on recent works developed by Simon on softwood multiscale characterisation in the transverse plane. Wood fracture behaviour is then investigated at the mesoscopic scale i.e. the growth rings scale. A satisfactory elastic model is obtained by combining digital image correlation (DIC) and numerical simulation given by the material point method NairnFEAMPM. Wood mechanical behaviour is thus assimilated to a multilayer composite material orthotropic and cylindrical. This adequate mechanical model of wood based on experimental results, observations is then applied to the investigation of softwood fracture mechanics in the transverse plane. At the mesoscopic scale, fracture mechanisms vary according to local parameters such as crack notch position into the annual ring or wood orientation in relation to the solicitation orientation. The research of fracture criteria involves measurements and estimations of local energy release rates and local critical energy release rates. Various tension tests are thus performed with the use of a specific setup. This last one helps to complete microscopic in-situ observations of fracture mechanisms and step by step fracture parameters measurements. The meshless method NairnFEAMPM combined with the CRAMP algorithm allows the numerical analysis and the implementation of local fracture criteria. The determined fracture criteria helps to predict fracture process into wood at the annual ring scale. This analysis helps to improve the knowledge of specific fracture phenomena at the mesoscopic scale such as crack bifurcation, crack arrest and secondary crack creation. Transverse wood drying analysis is then realized from experimental tests and NairnMPMFEA numerical simulation. This study gives some interesting and encouraging results as MPM tool allows crack phenomena representation under hydric solicitation.

The understanding of what properties the fibre should have in order to give the right end-product paper properties, along with the type of processing, is a subject for a lot of research and development. Today the ability to measure fibre properties on-line is widely used for pulps. It is often necessary to measure many properties and variables in a process. The data collected is therefore almost always multivariate. It is very hard to analyse process data due to a lot of noises. Correlations between fibre and paper properties are hard to find, but this does not mean that correlations do not exist. Fibre properties, measured by the pulp analyser PulpEye, were investigated and correlations to paper properties were studied. The work was divided into three different studies. Study 1 was an investigation of historical process data, in study 2 pulp samples from the production was analysed and study 3 was a refiner setting trial, were different refiner segments, flows through refiners and intensities were studied. Both the group-plots and MVDA’s based on the historical process data in study 1, showed that the Scott Bond was increased with increased amount of kinks and curl for the unbleached pine pulp (softwood pulp). Coarseness measurements, made in the study of historical data, indicated that the coarseness was varying in such a large extent that it was believable that it had effects in the papermaking process. Another interesting fibre property, investigated in the refiner setting trial, was crill. The amount of crill is said to have strong correlation to paper strength. The analysis showed that the incoming pulp had different amount of crill and that the amount of crill after the refiners also was varying for the different samples. The development of crill at different kappa numbers and for pulps refined with different segments and refiner strategies should be further investigated. In this work it has been difficult to find correlations between fibre properties and paper properties in the refiner setting trial. This could have been due to small variations of the different parameters. This work showed that the normal production can be handled very well and variations are rather small. It can be seen though, that problems do appear when parameters are deviating from the normal case. An efficient way to work is to do measurements when the incoming pulp parameters are deviating. It should also be more investigated how the most common deviating pulp parameters should be handled in the refining process and at the board machine. The communication between the pulp production and the board machines is recommended to be further developed, especially when the pulp production have disturbances that can be affecting the refining and further the board production.

The value-based approach to defining quality was used to investigate the value perceptions of softwood lumber treaters in the United States. Conjoint measurement techniques were used to estimate the trade-offs treaters make between quality enhancing attributes and price. Five intrinsic lumber attributes and five service attributes were chosen for inclusion in the study based on Hansen (1994) and personal interviews with treaters. Price was represented in the study relative to the current market price. Data were gathered in two stages through mail surveys of softwood lumber buyers at treating plants located in the United States. In the first stage, value ratings of 20 hypothetical combinations of lumber attributes and 20 hypothetical combinations of service attributes were obtained along with demographic information. In the second stage, value ratings of 20 hypothetical total products (combinations of both lumber and service attributes) were obtained. Utility functions for lumber value and service value were determined using ordinary least squares regression. Treaters gave the most importance to wane when evaluating the value of lumber packs. Price emerged as the second most important attribute in influencing treaters' perceptions of lumber value. Respondents considered the importance of the remaining lumber attributes in the following order: accuracy of grading, damage to lumber pack, and lumber straightness. A model to estimate the value of any combination of the attributes included in the study was developed. Simulation results suggest that treaters are willing to sacrifice $15.00 more per a thousand board feet for wane free lumber versus lumber with the maximum allowable wane. In the same fashion, respondents’ price sensitivity to other lumber attributes was determined. A service value utility function was developed based on the perceived value ratings. Price was the most important attribute in determining service value perceptions. Among all service attributes, lumber availability emerged as the most important. The second most important attribute in the determination of service value was reputation of the supplier. Respondents considered the supplier's ability to deliver lumber when promised as the third most important service attribute. The attributes, Supplier's ability to handle problems professionally and the ease with which supplier can be contacted by phone played a minor role in influencing service value. Based on the lumber value and service value analyses, lumber and service attributes were chosen for the final stage of data collection. Using a mail survey, perceived value ratings for hypothetical total products (lumber and service attributes) were obtained from the same respondents who provided data for the first stage of the analysis. Respondents in general, gave more importance to lumber quality than to service quality. Wane emerged as the most important attribute in influencing total product value. Price was considered to be the second most important attribute in the determination of perceived total product value. Respondents gave more importance to lumber availability than to reputation of the supplier while evaluating overall value. Accuracy of grading was considered to be the least important total product attribute. The results show that softwood lumber firms can differentiate themselves by providing wane free lumber and providing at least average service quality to their customers. The improved understanding of treaters’' needs and trade-offs should enable softwood lumber companies to plan the marketing strategies to achieve short- and long-term objectives while providing the most value to treaters. / Ph. D.