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Combined Densification and Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Processing of Wood

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Parviz Navi and
Frédéric Heger
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Abstract

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.

Keywords

construction materialsdensificationshape memorythermo-hydro-mechanical processingwood

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Bulletin , Volume 29 , Issue 5: Construction Materials: From Innovation to Conservation , May 2004, pp. 332 - 336
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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