European co-operation in wood research From native wood to engineered materials : Part 2: densification modification in product development

Wood is a renewable, biological material used in numerous applications and it is growing in importance due to sustainable development efforts. Wood also suffers from a number of disadvantages, were low hardness and abrasive resistance are characteristic for low-density species. This paper presents state of the art on different wood densification processes as one emerging process technology for increased use of low-density species. The presentation is based on work by different European research groups in wood science, collaborating in the field mainly through different COST Actions. The main principles for processes are discussed, such as bulk and surface densification, as well as methods for reducing the shape memory effect of densified wood. The main challenges for the future are in the field of finding fast and environmental friendly method for elimination of the set-recovery and scaling up to profitable industrial applications. To provide a better understanding with this regard, some relevant applications of densified wood are presented.<p>2018-01-23 (rokbeg);Konferensartikel i tidskrift