Infrastructure

RAIZ research team has three internationally recognized laboratories: Central Laboratory and Services, Forest Protection and Biotechnology Laboratories as well as a R&D and plant production nursery.

The Institute commitment towards an innovative and specialized service for the forest industry is reflected in the Iberian leadership in providing advanced analytical services for application in the forest, pulp and paper and biorefinery industries.

 

Central Laboratory and Services

O RAIZ Central Laboratory provides analysis and specialized services to pulp and paper industry, research and development.
We are a leading laboratory in the Iberian Peninsula providing advanced and in-depth analytical services for forestry (soils and vegetal material), pulp and paper industry and bioenergy industry.
RAIZ follows international standard methods:
Standards of broad application
European Committee for Standardization
Scandinavian Pulp, Paper, and Board Testing committee
Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry
American Standard for Testing and Materials
RAIZ Laboratory is a testing laboratory accredited by the Portuguese Institute of Accreditation – IPAC according to NP EN ISO/IEC 17025: 2005.
To ensure the traceability of the analytical results, RAIZ has implemented the KLIMS software since 2015.

MAIN ACTIVITY AREAS

  • Sample preparation including drying, crushing and grinding;
  • Soils and plant material analysis (classical analytical methods);
  • Analysis of process streams, effluents and residues;
  • Biomass, wood and pulp analysis;
  • Pulp and paper chemical and physical testing;
  • Microscopy and biometric analysis and fiber identification;
  • Pulping and bleaching studies;
  • Studies on new processes and products (biorefineries).

 

MAIN EQUIPMENTS

  • Pulping batch reactors;
  • M/K Systems Laboratory Digesters;
  • Oxigen delignification process;

  • PFI mill for Pulp Strength Evaluations;
  • Semi-Automatic British Sheet Machine for laboratory paper sheet reparation;
  • Shopper Riegler equipament;
  • Klemm Absorption;
  • Porosity Gurley;
  • Permeability Bendtsen;
  • Permeability FX 3300;
  • Roughness;
  • Tensile; Modulus of Elasticity; Zero span tensile;;
  • Internal bonds;

  • Water Absorption, Cobb;
  • Water retention value;
  • Tear;
  • Burst;
  • Brightness, ISO;
  • Brightness, reversion @ 105° C;
  • Opacity;
  • Light scattering coefficient;
  • Dirt and Shive Evaluation by Transmitted light

  • NIR - Near- Infrared Spectroscopy;
  • FTIR-ATR - Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflectance;
  • GC-MS - Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry;
  • Elemental Analysis for C, N, S, O, H;
  • Molecular Absorption Spectrophotometry;
  • Potentiometric and Conductometric analysis;

  • ICP - AES - Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy;
  • Cold generator for mercury analysis;
  • AOX - Adsorbable Organic Halogen;
  • Fiber Analyzer FQA L&W; Microscopy and photomicrographs;
  • High speed sample Homogenizer for Nanocellulose production;

 

 

Forest Protection Laboratory

At the Forest Protection Laboratory, pests and diseases associated with eucalypts in Portugal are studied.
One of main activities of this laboratory is the mass rearing of insects for biological control of pests. For example, we produce insects of genus Anaphes, which are natural enemies of the eucalyptus weevil (Gonipterus platensis), the key pest of eucalypts in the Iberian Peninsula.

 

R&D and Production Nursery

RAIZ R&D and production nursery is located at the Herdade da Espirra.
Here we perform exploratory and research trials to screen factors that impact cloning.
We also carry out studies on the rooting ability of different materials for operational cloning.
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Three greenhouses
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One shade-house
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One cutting production area.
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One open-air park with around 550 clones

Our Forestry Biotechnology Laboratory is also located in this area.

RAIZ nursery produces seedlings and clonal plants for research trials and clonal plants to be stock mother-plants in The Navigator Company large-scale production nurseries. Moreover, we provide grafted plants for the genetic improvement hybridization orchard and production seed orchards.