Combined Densification and Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Processing of Wood

The process of heating and compressing wood to improve its properties or reform it to a new shape has been known for decades. Such improvements are usually accompanied by “shape memory,” where the deformation produced by compression is not permanent, and the material recovers when re-moistened and h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMRS bulletin Vol. 29; no. 5; pp. 332 - 336
Main Authors Navi, Parviz, Heger, Frédéric
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01.05.2004
Subjects
construction materials
densification
shape memory
Technical Feature
thermo-hydro-mechanical processing
wood
thermo-hydro-mechanical processing
wood
shape memory
densification
construction materials
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Summary:The process of heating and compressing wood to improve its properties or reform it to a new shape has been known for decades. Such improvements are usually accompanied by “shape memory,” where the deformation produced by compression is not permanent, and the material recovers when re-moistened and heated. The combination of densification and a thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) treatment can transform wood into a new material with improved mechanical properties, decreased sensitivity to moisture, increased durability, and no shape-memory effects. This article presents the principles of combined densification and THM processing, the products and experimental results, the origin of the shape-memory effect and its elimination by THM treatment, and the potential use of THM-processed densified wood in construction applications.
Bibliography:istex:C62EFA5040B13458829DCB99895CB8CAF29904AE
PII:S0883769400015414
ark:/67375/6GQ-WL5PRPZ9-G
ArticleID:01541
ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:0883-7694
1938-1425
DOI:10.1557/mrs2004.100