Research

Dramatic events causing significant damage, such as bark beetle infestations, are making timber logistics and crisis management increasingly important. Regional disasters often result in a large quantity of damaged timber being produced in a short period of time. Despite extensive efforts, this timber cannot be transported from the forest to the processors at short notice. Therefore, all timber storage options must be utilised to relieve pressure on the timber market and maintain the quality of high-quality round timber assortments. The Mantra project dealt with wet storage in detail, but experience and knowledge of the various dry storage options is still very limited. One form of dry storage involves leaving dead trees standing in the forest (known as dry stands or dry saplings), which no longer pose a phytosanitary risk. These trees were not harvested in time due to factors such as location, increased harvesting costs, insufficient harvesting capacity and the poor timber market situation. This raises the question of how long this timber can be stored in the forest before it deteriorates, and how this deterioration will be affected by factors such as location and altitude. It is also necessary to determine how long this wood can be stored in the forest and what quality losses can be expected depending on the location, altitude, etc. For this reason, the following question will be addressed in the damaged wood quality project: What deterioration in the quality of round timber can be expected after several years of standing storage, and how suitable is this timber for sawn timber products in terms of quality and yield?

Natural wood coatings based on vegetable oils and waxes fulfill an important function for high-quality furniture and flooring. While they provide a pleasant look and natural feel to wooden surfaces, protection against liquids, especially water, and mechanical stability are often unsatisfactory. Inspired by the water-repellent properties of the natural lotus leaf, we propose a new approach for bio-based wood coatings that combines the beneficial effect of natural wax with the mechanical strength of cellulose nanocrystals. We hypothesize that micrometer-sized wax particles coated with hydrophobized cellulose nanocrystals can be produced in an emulsion-based process. Furthermore, we propose that once applied to a wood surface, either in combination with a natural oil or alternatively as a stand-alone solution, the microscale texture of the wax particles in combination with the nanoscale texture of the hydrophobic cellulose nanocrystals imparts strong water repellent properties to the surface. It is expected that the presence of cellulose nanocrystals will also significantly improve the mechanical resistance of the coating system. Overall, the proposed project thus aims to achieve significant scientific novelty in bio-based wood coatings, while at the same time providing a clear vision for practical application.

We have reached a point where we have to use recycled wood, which is mostly contaminated, to a greater extent because there is a shortage of raw wood in the EU. At the same time, in pulp mills, we produce large amounts of lignin, however, use it mainly for energy purposes. LignoMBB is bringing technology for the production of mycelium-based biocomposites (MBB), during which recycled wood is decontaminated. Secondly, LignoMBB is using lignin, which is currently mainly used for energy and is understood as a by- or waste product, in order to achieve better mycelial growth on the developed substrate. I am the first to suggest enriching the substrate for the production of MBB with lignin, expecting that the addition of lignin will result in better mechanical properties of the MBB. LignoMBB develops materials only from recycled wood and lignin, i.e. it does not use agricultural residues, as is currently common practice, and does not endanger food security. At the same time, it finds application for large volumes of old contaminated wood, which is currently entering circulation. My first objective is to develop a technology for the material use of lignin and a substitution technology of agricultural residues in MBBs with lignin and recycled wood. Then, I will answer the questions: To which extent additional lignin in MBB is consumed by fungi? What are the limits of substrate enrichment by lignin? In accordance with the second objective, I will develop a novel MBB to be used in structural applications. At different stages of the MBB cycle, I will measure the VOC emissions because I am hypothesizing that the production process of MBB can act as bioremediation and decreases VOC emissions from materials. LignoMBB will be implemented at BOKU in Bio-Resources & Technologies Tulln group, where the emphasis is placed on cradle-to-cradle design and brings to this group methods of recycled wood decontamination and production of fully degradable MBB.