Page 43 - Kutnar, Andreja, et al., eds., 2015. Proceedings of the 1st COST Action FP1307 International Conference - Life Cycle Assessment, EPDs, and modified wood. University of Primorska Press, Koper.

atment
stage
is
necessary
in
order
to
reduce
set-­‐recovery.
This
means
that
low
value
wood

species
become
not
only
high
value
products
but
also
high
cost
products,
eliminating
their

potential
advantage
over
inherently
more
expensive
and
harder
wood
species
such
as
oak,
beech,

or
tropical
woods.

The
objective
of
the
research
project
proposed
by
Luleå
University
of
Technology
is
the

development
of
a
continuous
wood-­‐surface-­‐densification
process,
the
aim
being
to
shorten
the

process
time
and
to
lower
the
energy
consumption
in
order
to
reduce
the
costs
and

environmental
impact.

The
first
stage
of
the
project
focuses
on
determining
the
validity
of
the
existing
batch
process

parameters
in
the
context
of
a
continuous
wood-­‐surface-­‐densification
process,
the
purpose
being

to
evaluate
whether
an
economic,
continuous
surface-­‐densification
process
is
feasible
within
the

process
parameter
limits
found
in
the
literature.

Thereafter,
the
focus
will
be
on
optimizing
the
process
on
a
laboratory
scale
and
improving
its

robustness.
There
is
however,
a
realistic
risk
that
the
current
batch
process
approach
cannot
be

transformed
into
an
economically
feasible
continuous
process,
in
which
case,
further
experiments

will
focus
on
reducing
the
process
time
by
other
wood
modification
means,
such
as
impregnation.

Inoue
et
al.
(2008)
presented
an
interesting
approach
in
this
context.

The
later
stages
of
the
project
will
focus
on
transforming
the
laboratory
process
into
an
industrial

process,
and
on
evaluating
the
environmental
impact
of
the
process.
For
this
purpose,
it
will
be

necessary
to
evaluate
the
process
from
both
an
economic
and
an
environmental
perspective,

including
the
creation
of
an
environmental
product
declaration
(EPD).

References

Gong
M.,
Lamason
C.,
Li
L.
2010.
Interactive
effect
of
surface
densification
and
post-­‐heat-­‐treatment
on

aspen
wood.
Journal
of
Materials
Processing
Technology,
210,
2:
293-­‐296

Inoue
M.,
Adachi
K.,
Tsunoda
K.,
Rowell
R.M.,
Kawai
S.
2008.
A
new
procedure
for
treating
wood.
Wood

Material
Science
and
Engineering,
3,
1-­‐2:
46-­‐54

Kutnar
A.,
Rautkari
L.,
Laine
K.,
Hughes
M.
2012.
Thermodynamic
characteristics
of
surface
densified
solid

Scots
pine
wood.
European
Journal
of
Wood
and
Wood
Products,
70,
5:
727-­‐734

Laine
K.,
Rautkari
L.,
Hughes
M.
2013a.
The
effect
of
process
parameters
on
the
hardness
of
surface

densified
Scots
pine
solid
wood.
European
Journal
of
Wood
and
Wood
Products,
71,
1:
13-­‐16

Laine
K.,
Rautkari
L.,
Hughes
M.,
Kutnar
A.
2013b.
Reducing
the
set-­‐recovery
of
surface
densified
solid
Scots

pine
wood
by
hydrothermal
post-­‐treatment.
European
Journal
of
Wood
and
Wood
Products,
71,
1:
17-­‐

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Laine
K.
2014.Improving
the
properties
of
wood
by
surface
densification.
PhD
Thesis,
Aalto
University.

Navi,
P.,
Sandberg
D.
2012.
Thermo-­‐hydro-­‐mechanical
processing
of
wood.
EPFL
Press,
Lausanne

Rautkari
L.
2012.
Surface
modification
of
solid
wood
using
different
techniques.
PhD
Thesis,
Aalto

University.

Rautkari
L.,
Properzi
M.,
Pichelin
F.,
Hughes
M.
2010.
Properties
and
set-­‐recovery
of
surface
densified

Norway
spruce
and
European
beech.
Wood
Science
and
Technology,
44,
4:
679-­‐691

Rautkari
L.,
Laine
K.,
Kutnar
A.,
Medved
S.,
Hughes
M.
2013.
Hardness
and
density
profile
of
surface

densified
and
thermally
modified
Scots
pine
in
relation
to
degree
of
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Journal
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Science,
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6:
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31