VOLUME 60, ISSUE 3/2019

Wood and wood products (including particle board) imported into the EU have been subject to the EU Timber Trade Regulation (EUTR, 2010) since 2013. With regard to the requirements of a clear declaration, the wood compositions in particleboards are being investigated for the first time at the Thünen Centre of Competence on the Origin of Timber. Due to the different sizes and geometry, the anatomical identification of particles in the top and middle layers is considerably more difficult as compared to solid wood samples and requires a high methodological approach. The previous results of the microscopic studies show that the compositions of the identified botanical taxa mostly correspond to the regional origins of the woods or production sites. The identified woods can be divided into five groups – softwood, hardwood (temporate), hardwood (Asia), plantation wood and recycled wood. Based on these results, the references for the determination of woods in particleboards are significantly extended according to the requirements of EUTR (2010).

One of the most well-known strength of wood composites is the relatively low-cost transformation of wood into wide flat boards. However, the subsequent gluing of wood particles induces several disadvantages with regard to solid wood, such as lower mechanical strength, increased creep behaviour or increased emissions of volatile organic compounds. To overcome some of these weaknesses, organic as well as inorganic additives were used within the present study. The addition of fibrillated lignocellulose increased the mechanical strength of urea-formaldehyde bonded particleboards. Similar effects were observed with the addition of sheet silicate as inorganic additive. When adding sheet silicate, the mechanical strength was highest at low resin contents. Thus, the addition of sheet silicate would be a reasonable measure of compensation at the industrial manufacturing of particleboards.

Radiation curing wood coatings have technological and ecological advantages compared to physically drying or chemically crosslinking systems. However, these techniques are characterised by high energy and maintenance costs. They could be significantly reduced by use of UV-LED irradiation technology if suitable coating formulation were available. The present work focused on highly reactive binders and, in particular, on photo-initiators whose absorption characteristics are adjusted to the available UV-LED irradiation sources. Acrylic resins as well as variously modified vegetable oils were applied as binding agents. In order to overcome oxygen-caused inhibition of the crosslinking reactions, which may impair the surface quality of a coating, cationic systems were investigated along with radically crosslinking coating formulations. As a result of this work, it could be shown that some of the radically crosslinking formulations could be processed to mechanically and chemically highly resistive wood coatings by use of UV-LED technology at high feed rates.

In order to improve the fire resistance of flammable and combustible materials different types of flame retardants (FRs) are used, corresponding with particular requirements and material compatibility. Most of the FRs found to be efficient based on halogenated compounds. However, their use has been strictly restricted, particularly in the European countries and North America, since it was shown that some of them, their decomposition products and/or precursors are harmful to human health and environment. More sustainable and environmentally friendly concepts for flame retardation are dealing with bio-based FRs. In the current work, a promising and environmentally friendly approach improving the fire resistance of wood, wood-based materials, and wood coatings is presented.

The coating of narrow surfaces of wood composites on an industrial scale serves multiple purposes. Besides meeting aesthetic requirements, a high-strength bonding of the coating material prevents humidity from ingressing the workpiece as well as emissions leaking from the wood composite. In the process of manufacturing components for the furniture and interior work industry, narrow surface coating is an essential step of vital importance for the all-over quality of the resulting product. Each furniture component is equipped with a joint between the wood composite and the narrow surface coating, independently of its manufacturing method. One possible result in case the adhesive joint is being damaged is the failure of the entire component. A newly developed approach in narrow surface coating is the targeted local application of heat generated by ceramic heaters which are constructed in thick-film or multi-layer technology. This entails that the surface coating material is heated as near as possible to the joint location and being firmly bonded directly afterwards to the workpiece.

The economic relevance of mushrooms from domestic production is already high today and will increase significantly in the future. The objective of the project was to develop recipes and production methods for novel substrates for the mushrooms cultivation by example of referential mushrooms (himematsutake or ABM, shiitake, king oyster) on the basis of regenerative resource material or residual substances from their processing. The research project helped to develop alternative and yield-raising mushroom substrates from domestic regenerative resources or residual matter (e. g. softwood, hemp, xylit, substrates removed from the mushroom production a. u.) for several cultivated fungi.

Traditional marine oil response technology is based on ship borne techniques. These systems are susceptable to weather conditions and have a long response time. Within the research project BioBind, a new oil spill response technology for marine use was developed and evaluated. Due to airborne distribution, the binder system is suitable for application during adverse weather conditions and on shallow water territories. The main components are biogenic, biodegradable and floatable wood-fibre based sorbent materials, which will be equipped with oil degrading microorganisms. Experiments of airborne application, monitoring and shipborne recovery with net-booms confirmed the suitability of the sorbents. The patented sorbent material was tested in lab and mesocosm experiments as well as during field experiments on the Baltic Sea. The sorbent material was produced on the industrial scale and will be applied for an oil spill response system, which will be established within the EU-funded project SBOIL in the South Baltic region. Technology transfer to the Persian Gulf region is planed together with partners from different institutions in Iran.

In 13 parts were presented the main high educational centers for wood science and technology of 33 European countries. Part 14 to 21 presented an introduction regarding the North American forest and wood industry as well the Canadian and USA institutions for wood science and research. Part 27 added to the overview in Asia of the forestry and wood economy and part 28 is continuing with the higher education and research in wood science and the wood industry associations in Vietnam.