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Advances in Wood Based Composites, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 904

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Forest Products Technology and Timber Construction Department, Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Markt 136 a, 5431 Kuchl, Austria
2 Faculty of Furniture Design and Wood Engineering, Transylvania University of Brasov, B-dul. Eroilor nr. 29, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Interests: wood- and non-wood composites; wood processing and technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Forest Products Technology and Timber Construction Department, Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Markt 136 a, 5431 Kuchl, Austria
2. Faculty of Furniture Design and Wood Engineering, Transylvania University of Brasov, B-dul. Eroilor nr. 29, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Interests: ligno-cellulosic composites; material science; ecology of materials; scientific writing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wood-based composite's importance has dramatically increased in recent years. They are derived by combining eligible wood elements with thermoplastic adhesives. Some additives, such as hardeners or fillers are purposefully added to produce better and faster wood-based composites. These additives help provide physical and mechanical properties to the polymer matrix. Wood-based composites find their application in a number of structural and non-structural applications for interior and exterior purposes, such as furniture, construction, floorings, doors, and other applications. 

This Special Issue is focused on high-quality original research articles and reviews on topics including (but not limited to) the latest approaches in the development of wood-based composites, including reinforced composite structures, novel eco-friendly wood-based composites, wood–plastic composites (WPCs), advanced functionalities in laminates, activation of natural fibers, natural matrix, and other industrial manufacturing research advancements in wood composite materials and their application.

Prof. Dr. Roman Reh
Prof. Dr. Marius Cătălin Barbu
Prof. Dr. Eugenia Mariana Tudor
Dr. Ľuboš Krišťák
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wood and wood based materials
  • wood composite materials
  • adhesives for composites
  • wood processing and mechanical modification
  • surface modification of wood and wood composites
  • chemical and thermal modification of wood and wood composites

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 3198 KiB  
Article
Valorization of Extracted Bark for Particleboard Production: A Life-Cycle Impact Assessment
by Marco Morandini, Marius Cătălin Barbu, Rozália Váňová, Stefan Kain, Jan Tippner, Alexander Petutschnigg, Lubos Kristak, Günther Kain, Thomas Sepperer and Thomas Schnabel
Polymers 2025, 17(7), 925; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17070925 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 520
Abstract
The enhanced use of wood residues from the timber industry contributes to mitigating the global climate crisis. Currently, bark, a by-product of the timber industry, is primarily burned for thermal energy generation. However, with the growing demand for lignocellulosic products and the emphasis [...] Read more.
The enhanced use of wood residues from the timber industry contributes to mitigating the global climate crisis. Currently, bark, a by-product of the timber industry, is primarily burned for thermal energy generation. However, with the growing demand for lignocellulosic products and the emphasis on extending life cycles, it would be more beneficial to prioritize substantial uses of bark over thermal utilization. Although numerous methods for substantial bark utilization have been explored, a significant untapped potential remains. The extractives obtained through water extraction, for instance, can be applied to various further uses like biopolymers or medical applications. This study investigates the impact of hot water extraction on the mechanical and physical properties of bark-based panels, with the aim of extending the life cycle of tree bark and its valorization in bio-based composites. The findings demonstrate that hot water extraction can enhance the bending properties (modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity) of bark-based panels. Additionally, the extractives obtained from the process have potential applications in the pharmaceutical and adhesive industries. The study also includes an LCIA that highlights the differences between the three scenarios addressed in this research, namely energy generation from bark-based biomass, extraction of bark, and use of extracted bark residues in the production of bark-based particleboard. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Wood Based Composites, 2nd Edition)
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