Improving Wood Durability through Heat Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

Wood thermal modifications are becoming popular as a way to enhance the performance of wood materials or wood products, either to make them more durable, improve the performance of wood, or give them new functionality as multifunctional or smart materials. As one of the most successful and most economical methods for wood industrialization, wood thermal modification has a history of nearly 100 years. However, it was not until the past 20 years that the industrial production and popularization of heat-modified wood achieved remarkable results.

Hemicellulose in wood degrades under high temperature, and the generated organic acid can accelerate the degradation of hemicellulose and the amorphous area of cellulose, significantly reducing the hygroscopic hydroxyl group and increasing the proportion of the crystalline area, thereby enhancing the dimensional stability of the wood. In addition, the increase in the lateral connections of the lignin network during thermal modification also enhance the dimensional stability of the wood. During the thermal degradation of wood, formic acid, acetic acid and various phenolic compounds are generated, which can prevent or delay the growth of decay bacteria. The increase in cellulose crystalline area limits or delays the degradation of long molecular chains of cellulose by non-enzymatic oxidants and the diffusion of soluble oligosaccharides or monosaccharides in the wood cell cavity. The increase in lateral connections in the lignin network can also hinder the degradation of lignin by enzymes, and the reduction of the hygroscopicity of the modified material is also beneficial in preventing the parasitism and reproduction of decaying bacteria.

This Special Issue will focus on the advanced technologies and processes of thermal modification, acetylation, furfurylation, and the combined modification of compaction and heat treatment, and their effects on wood properties. We especially welcome papers relating to the application status and industrial application prospect of these methods, including but not limited to:

• wood drying, cooling and moisture control;
• effects of thermal modification on the physical properties, mechanical properties, durability and weatherability of wood;
• wood life cycle assessment;
• industrial production of thermally modified wood;
• economic costs and benefits of thermally modified wood;
• technological process of wood combination modification, etc.

We hope to provide directions for key issues that need to be explored in the future.

Prof. Dr. Ladislav Reinprecht
Dr. Zuzana Vidholdová
Dr. Miroslava Mamoňová
Guest Editors

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• wood thermal modification
• heat treatment
• wood protection
• wood durability
• wood destroying fungi
• wood products
• wood property
• wood preservation