Wood science [1] is the scientific field which predominantly studies and investigates elements associated with the formation, the physical and chemical composition, and the macro- and microstructure of wood as a bio-based and lignocellulosic material. Wood science additionally delves into the biological, chemical, physical, and mechanical properties and characteristics of wood as a natural material. [2] [3]
Deep understanding of wood plays a pivotal role in several endeavors such as the processing of wood, the production of wood-based materials like particleboard, fiberboard, OSB, plywood and other materials, as well as the utilization of wood and wood-based materials in construction and a wide array of products, including pulpwood, furniture, engineered wood products, such as glued laminated timber, CLT, LVL, PSL, as well as pellets, briquettes, and numerous wood-derived products.
Initial comprehensive investigations in the field of wood science emerged at the start of the 20th century. In 1902, the Wood Processing Laboratory was founded in the Department of Forestry at Tokyo University and academic studies on wood processing were first initiated. The Forest and Forest Products Research Institute in Tokyo was also established in 1905. [4] In 1906 the Forest Products Research Institute was created in Dehradun, India.
The advent of contemporary wood research commenced in 1910, when the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) was established in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. [5] The Forest Products Laboratory played a fundamental role in wood science providing scientific research on wood and wood products in partnership with academia, industry, local and other institutions in North and South America and worldwide. [6] [7] [8]
In the following years, many wood research institutes came into existence across almost all industrialized nations. A general overview of these institutes and laboratories is shown below: [9]
From the '60s, the founding of research institutes in the field of wood sciences continued in many universities, and also in universities of applied sciences and technological universities. Today, the International Academy of Wood Science (IAWS), a recognised and non-profit assembly of wood scientists, represents worldwide the scientific area of wood science and all of its associated technological domains. [10] [11]
The field of wood science can be categorized into three distinct sub-areas, which include: [12]
Below are some of the significant scientific journals within the areas of wood sciences: [15]
Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. The science of forestry has elements that belong to the biological, physical, social, political and managerial sciences. Forest management plays an essential role in the creation and modification of habitats and affects ecosystem services provisioning.
Wood easily degrades without sufficient preservation. Apart from structural wood preservation measures, there are a number of different chemical preservatives and processes that can extend the life of wood, timber, and their associated products, including engineered wood. These generally increase the durability and resistance from being destroyed by insects or fungi.
Biorefining is the process of "building" multiple products from biomass as a feedstock or raw material much like a petroleum refinery that is currently in use.
Behara Seshadri Daya Sagar also known as B. S. Daya Sagar is an Indian mathematical geoscientist specializing in mathematical morphology. He is a professor of computer science at the Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore. He is known as a specialist in mathematical morphology, fractal geometry. chaos theory, and their applications in geophysics, geographical information science, and computational geography. The Indian Geophysical Union awarded him the Krishnan Medal in 2002. He is the first Asian to receive the Georges Matheron Lectureship in 2011. In 2018, he received the IAMG Certificate of Appreciation by the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences for his work on the Handbook of Mathematical Geosciences. In 2020, Sagar was selected as an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer (DL) to represent the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society. He, with Frits Agterberg, Qiuming Cheng, and Jennifer McKinley, led the monumental project on the Encyclopedia of Mathematical Geosciences to the completion. The first edition of two-volume 1756-page Encyclopedia of Mathematical Geosciences was published on 21 June 2023 by Springer International Publishers.
Walter Liese was a German forestry and wood researcher and wood biologist.
The Institute of Wood Science (IWSc) was incorporated in 1955 as a professional body for the timber industries and allied professions. In 2009 it merged with the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), and became known as The Wood Technology Society. Following restructuring and rebranding of the IOM3 it changed its name to the Wood Technology Group in 2021.
Yakisugi is a traditional, very old Japanese method of wood preservation. It is referred to in the West as burnt timber cladding and is also available as shou sugi ban (焼杉板), a term which uses the same kanji characters, but an alternative pronunciation. The ban character means "plank".
The International Academy of Wood Science (IAWS) is an international academy and a non-profit assembly of wood scientists, recognizing all fields of wood science with their associated technological domains and securing a worldwide representation.
George Mantanis is a Greek wood scientist and professor at the University of Thessaly in Greece, who is an elected fellow (FIAWS) of the International Academy of Wood Science.
Acetylated wood is a type of modified wood that is produced through a chemical modification process and does not contain any toxic substances. It produced from a chemical reaction, involving acetic anhydride and a modification process to make wood highly resistant to biological attacks by fungi and wood-boring insects and durable to environmental conditions. It is a new wood product in the field of wood science, following decades of research and experimentation.
John Ralph is a New Zealand-born, American chemist, wood scientist, and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is an elected fellow (FIAWS) of the International Academy of Wood Science and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (FAAAS).
Roger M. Rowell is an American biochemist and wood scientist of the Forest Products Laboratory at Madison and emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who is an elected fellow (FIAAM) of the International Association for Advanced Materials and an elected fellow (FIAWS) of the International Academy of Wood Science.
Holger Militz is a German wood scientist and professor at the University of Goettingen, who is an elected fellow (FIAWS) of the International Academy of Wood Science.
Peter Niemz (1950) is a German-born Swiss materials engineer, retired wood scientist and emeritus professor of the Institute of Building Materials at ETH Zurich, who is an elected fellow (FIAWS) of the International Academy of Wood Science.
Thujaplicinol is either of two isomeric tropolone-related natural products. They are found in tree species primarily in bark, needles, xylem, of the family of Cupressaceae like the Cupressus, Thuja, Juniperus and Thujopsis. The thujaplicinols are structurally equivalent to the thujaplicins with an additional hydroxyl group. They belong to the class of natural terpenoids having two free hydroxyl groups at C3 and C5 position.
Dick Sandberg is a Swedish mechanical engineer and wood scientist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), who is an elected fellow (FIAWS) of the International Academy of Wood Science.
Alfred Teischinger is an Austrian wood scientist and technologist and emeritus professor at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), who is an elected fellow (FIAWS) of the International Academy of Wood Science.
Gerald Koch is a German wood scientist and professor, senior researcher and research scientific director at the Thünen-Institute of Wood Research at Hamburg, who is an elected fellow of the International Academy of Wood Science.
Edmone Roffael (1939–2021) was a Palestinian-German chemist and wood scientist, and former professor at the Georg-August University of Göttingen, who made noteworthy contributions to clarifying the release of formaldehyde from particleboard and MDF products, and its emission reduction.
Robinetin is an organic compound which belongs to flavones and has the molecular formula C15H10O7.