Wood Modification Technologies: Principles, Sustainability, and the Need for Innovation (Hardback)

The market for durable products using modified wood has increased substantially during the last few years. This is partly because of the restricted use of toxic preservatives due to environmental concerns and to lessen maintenance cost and time. Furthermore, as sustainability becomes a greater concern, the environmental impact of construction and interior materials, is factored in planning by considering the whole life cycle and embodied energy of the materials used. Wood modification is implemented to improve the intrinsic properties of wood, and enhance the range of applications of timber, and to acquire the form and functionality desired by engineers without calling the environmental friendliness into question. Wood modification processes are at various stages of development, and the challenges that must be overcome in scaling up to industrial applications differ.

The aim of this book is to put together the key elements of the changes of wood constituents and the related changes in wood properties of modified wood. Further, a selection of the principal technologies implemented in wood modification are presented. This work is intended for researchers, professionals of timber construction, as well as students studying the science of materials, civil engineering and architecture. This work is not exhaustive or a reference, but intends to deliver an outline of the scientific disciplines necessary to apprehend the technologies of wood modification and its behavior during treatment, as well as during its use.