Mission

The Chair of Wood Technology stands for a resource-efficient use of wood as a material. The basis is its comprehensive understanding (characterisation, wood quality) in order to develop modern and efficient materials (material design, product engineering, bonding), to expand their properties (functionalisation) and to produce them in a knowledge-based way with new or optimised technological processes (numerical product and process simulation).

Higher plants such as trees or grasses, and their fruits are made up of biologically optimised lignocellulosic structures, which unite low weight with high functionality. We study fundamental properties of natural cellulose fibres and the processes required for their utilisation in biobased fibre materials. Potential fields of application range from functionalised nanocellulose to high-strength natural fiber-polymer composites and ultra-light biobased thermal insulation materials.

Natural materials are all chemical compounds that are produced by organisms, particularly from plants. This includes wood, cellulose, starch, proteins, fats, oils, waxes or resins. We are dealing with the characterization of these substances, as well as with specific applications and further process and moulding technologies, with material and process design, as well as with process modeling. Natural materials can be maintained in biological cycles, but they also show potential to be kept in technical cycles. We therefore are intensively concerned with the recyclability of natural materials, with Cradle-to-Cradle design principles, as well as with up-cycling approaches of residual materials. Applications are focusing on the construction sector, as well as on furniture and packaging.