I work for a company that operates a number of building-materials related businesses, and today a sales rep came in pushing the latest line of composite board. This is some kind of composite that uses rice husks. First product we’ve seen using rice husks - but there’s been a bunch of different things like this over the years - hemp, waste wood fiber, fly ash, etc.
Unfortunately I don’t know the name of this stuff (I didn’t meet with the rep), but I was impressed with the sample and took a couple pieces home to try cutting…
The material has the feel of a celuka pvc like Koma, but maybe a little lighter, and it’s much stronger than pvc. I couldn’t break this piece with my hands without REALLY going at it and probably hurting myself. Doesn’t seem to have a static charge like pvc does either, but this is a sample of a finished piece of siding, and maybe they address that in finishing? I don’t know what the raw board is like. They’re using it for siding so I’m hoping the cost is reasonable. No idea.
It does appear to be a little porous on the inside, but after cutting I was really impressed with the detail that it gives. This sample is fresh off the cut with no sanding. Like the center of the a’s really surprised me that they were still standing, and they withstand brushes with the finger. That center of the small a is less than 1/16” wide.
It’s like mdf and pvc made a baby or something. I gotta find out what this stuff is.
*edited the title with the name of the material
