Advanced Technologies in Wood Science

Dear Colleagues,

Wood, a versatile material, has been used for centuries for many reasons due to its fibrous nature. It varies in color and density and is considered a primary raw material in buildings due to its high strength in combination with its low weight and some durability. It is, therefore, a raw material that can be used in indoor applications and, if treated efficiently, in outdoor application as well. However, wood has two main disadvantages which restrict its wider use, namely a susceptibility to biodegradability by microorganisms and a dimensional instability when subjected to a varied moisture content. Most wood species deteriorate rapidly under biological factors; the most important biological decay is caused by fungi. On the other hand, when wood is subjected to a fluctuating moisture, dimensional and conformational instability occur. These drawbacks are mainly due to the cell wall main polymers and, in particular, due to their high abundance of hydroxyl groups. Wood may be modified chemically or thermally, so that selected properties are enhanced in a more or less permanent fashion. Another option to improve these properties is to exploit the solutions that nanotechnology can offer. The small size nanoparticles of nanotechnology compounds can deeply penetrate into the wood, effectively alter its surface chemistry, and result in a high protection against moisture and decay. In addition, the use of lignocellulosic materials for the production of advanced wood composites is an innovative avenue for research. This Special Issue, Advanced Technologies in Wood Science, seeks high-quality works and topics (not only those) focusing on the latest approaches to the protection of wood and wood composites with chemical or thermal modification technologies, the application of nanomaterials to wood science and the development of new techniques and technologies for production of lignocellulosic materials with enhanced properties and performance.

Prof. Dr. Antonios Papadopoulos
Collection Editor

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