Wood - The Internal Optimization of Trees

Wood - The Internal Optimization of Trees PDF Author: Claus Mattheck
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642612199
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 141

Get Book Here

Book Description
Here are two physicists looking over the fence of physics, getting thrilled by the life and growth of trees, taking an altogether different, exciting view of wood: trees produce wood for their own benefit. They do not live for the benefit of man who builds his world using wood as a raw material. Timber is revealed in a different light, and the reader is taught to stop thinking of it in terms of defective beams and boards. Wood only fails as a part of the living tree. To us, the tree and wood biologists, this new definition is a real, inspiring challenge, which is just what Kubler and Mattheck intended it to be. Their answers may seem too simple or little logical to some of us; but the authors are not at a loss for sound and solid arguments. Their field studies prove the incredible, their hypotheses makes us want to get to the bottom of the un proven unbelievable. The authors' answers and arguments are bold and cour ageous. They arouse our curiosity and force us to fathom the facts. It seems as if Kubler and Mattheck wanted to trick us into believing that trees only live and react following mechanical rules and strategies. To tell the truth, that was what I first suspected the authors of: but I was wrong.

Wood - The Internal Optimization of Trees

Wood - The Internal Optimization of Trees PDF Author: Claus Mattheck
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642612199
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 141

Get Book Here

Book Description
Here are two physicists looking over the fence of physics, getting thrilled by the life and growth of trees, taking an altogether different, exciting view of wood: trees produce wood for their own benefit. They do not live for the benefit of man who builds his world using wood as a raw material. Timber is revealed in a different light, and the reader is taught to stop thinking of it in terms of defective beams and boards. Wood only fails as a part of the living tree. To us, the tree and wood biologists, this new definition is a real, inspiring challenge, which is just what Kubler and Mattheck intended it to be. Their answers may seem too simple or little logical to some of us; but the authors are not at a loss for sound and solid arguments. Their field studies prove the incredible, their hypotheses makes us want to get to the bottom of the un proven unbelievable. The authors' answers and arguments are bold and cour ageous. They arouse our curiosity and force us to fathom the facts. It seems as if Kubler and Mattheck wanted to trick us into believing that trees only live and react following mechanical rules and strategies. To tell the truth, that was what I first suspected the authors of: but I was wrong.

Trees

Trees PDF Author: P. A. Thomas
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 113942906X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 298

Get Book Here

Book Description
Trees are familiar components of many landscapes, vital to the healthy functioning of the global ecosystem and unparalled in the range of materials which they provide for human use. Yet how much do we really understand about how they work? This 2000 book provides a comprehensive introduction to the natural history of trees, presenting information on all aspects of tree biology and ecology in an easy to read and concise text. Fascinating insights into the workings of these everyday plants are uncovered throughout the book, with questions such as how are trees designed, how do they grow and reproduce, and why do they eventually die tackled in an illuminating way. Written for a non-technical audience, the book is nonetheless rigorous in its treatment and will therefore provide a valuable source of reference for beginning students as well as those with a less formal interest in this fascinating group of plants.

Juvenile Wood in Forest Trees

Juvenile Wood in Forest Trees PDF Author: Bruce J. Zobel
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642721265
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 311

Get Book Here

Book Description
The trend in forestry is toward shorter rotations and more complete utiliza tion of trees. The reasons are: (1) financial pressures to obtain rapid returns on the forestry investment made possible by an earlier harvest; (2) enforced harvest of young plantations to maintain a continuing supply of cellulose for mills where wood shortages are experienced; (3) thinning young plantations, both because they were planted too densely initially and because thinning is done where long rotation quality trees are the forestry goal; (4) more intensive utilization is being done using tops and small diameter trees; and (5) there is interest in using young (juvenile) wood for special products because of its unique characteristics and the development of new technologies. The largest present-day source of conifer juvenile wood is from thinnings of plantations where millions of hectares of pine were planted too densely. Because of the better growth rate resulting from improved silviculture and good genetic stock, plantations will need to be thinned heavily. As a result of this trend, young wood makes up an increasingly larger proportion of the total conifer wood supply each year. Large amounts of juvenile wood from hard woods are also currently available, especially in the tropics and subtropics, because of the fast growth rate of the species used, which results in shorter rotations and ess~ntially all juvenile wood.

Springer Handbook of Wood Science and Technology

Springer Handbook of Wood Science and Technology PDF Author: Peter Niemz
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030813150
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 2064

Get Book Here

Book Description
This handbook provides an overview on wood science and technology of unparalleled comprehensiveness and international validity. It describes the fundamental wood biology, chemistry and physics, as well as structure-property relations of wood and wood-based materials. The different aspects and steps of wood processing are presented in detail from both a fundamental technological perspective and their realisation in industrial contexts. The discussed industrial processes extend beyond sawmilling and the manufacturing of adhesively bonded wood products to the processing of the various wood-based materials, including pulp and paper, natural fibre materials and aspects of bio-refinery. Core concepts of wood applications, quality and life cycle assessment of this important natural resource are presented. The book concludes with a useful compilation of fundamental material parameters and data as well as a glossary of terms in accordance with the most important industry standards. Written and edited by a truly international team of experts from academia, research institutes and industry, thoroughly reviewed by external colleagues, this handbook is well-attuned to educational demands, as well as providing a summary of state-of-the-art research trends and industrial requirements. It is an invaluable resource for all professionals in research and development, and engineers in practise in the field of wood science and technology.

Wood Quality and its Biological Basis

Wood Quality and its Biological Basis PDF Author: John Barnett
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1405147814
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 240

Get Book Here

Book Description
Wood is the most versatile raw material available to man. It isburned as fuel, shaped into utensils, used as a structuralengineering material, converted into fibres for paper production,and put to newer uses as a source of industrial chemicals. Its quality results largely from the chemical and physicalstructure of the cell walls of its component fibres, which can bemodified in nature as the tree responds to physical environmentalstresses. Internal stresses can accumulate, which are releasedcatastrophically when the tree is felled, often rendering thetimber useless. The quality of timber as an engineering materialalso depends on the structure of the wood and the way in which ithas developed in the living tree. Tree improvement for quality cannot be carried out without anunderstanding of the biological basis underlying wood formation andstructure. This volume brings together the viewpoints of bothbiologists and physical scientists, covering the spectrum from theformation of wood to its structure and properties, and relatingthese properties to industrial use. This is a volume for researchers and professionals in plantphysiology, molecular biology and biochemistry.

The Biology of Reaction Wood

The Biology of Reaction Wood PDF Author: Barry Gardiner
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642108148
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 281

Get Book Here

Book Description
The book is a fundamental reference source on reaction wood for wood scientists and technologists, plant biologists, silviculturists, forest ecologists, and anyone involved in the growing of trees and the processing of wood. It brings together our current understanding of all aspects of reaction wood, and is the first book to discuss both compression wood and tension wood. Trees produce reaction wood to maintain the vertical orientation of their stems and the optimum angle of each branch. They achieve this by laying down fibre cell walls in which differences in physical and chemical structure from those of normal fibres are expressed as differential stresses across the stem or branch. This process, while of obvious value for the survival of the tree, causes serious problems for the utilisation of timber. Timber derived from trees containing significant amounts of reaction wood is subject to dimensional instability on drying, causing twisting, bending and splitting. It is also difficult to work as timber, and for the pulp and paper industry the cost of removing the increased amount of lignin in compression wood is substantial. This has both practical and economic consequences for industry. Understanding the factors controlling reaction wood formation and its effect on wood structure is therefore fundamental to our understanding of the adaptation of trees to their environment and to the sustainable use of wood. The topics covered include: -Morphology, anatomy and ultrastructure of reaction wood -Cell-wall polymers in reaction wood and their biosynthesis -Changes in tree proteomes during reaction wood formation -The biomechanical action and biological functions of reaction wood - Physical and mechanical properties of reaction wood from the scale of cell walls to planks -The detection and characterisation of compression wood -Effects of reaction wood on the performance of wood and wood-based products - Commercial implications of reaction wood and the influence of forest management on its formation

Industrial Applications of Natural Fibres

Industrial Applications of Natural Fibres PDF Author: Jörg Müssig
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780470660348
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 560

Get Book Here

Book Description
Natural fibres are becoming increasingly popular for use in industrial applications, providing sustainable solutions to support technical innovation. These versatile, natural based materials have applications in a wide range of industries, from textiles and consumer products to the automotive and construction industries. Industrial Applications of Natural Fibres examines the different steps of processing, from natural generation, fibre separation and fibre processing, to the manufacturing of the final product. Each step is linked to fibre properties and characterization, highlighting how different fibres influence the product properties through a discussion of their chemical and structural qualities. Considering the value-added chain from natural generation to final product, with emphasis on quality management, this book reviews the current research and technical applications of natural fibres. Topics covered include: Introduction to the Chemistry and Biology of Natural Fibres Economic Aspects of Natural Fibres Vegetable Fibres Animal Fibres Testing and Quality Management Applications: Current and Potential Industrial Application of Natural Fibres will be a valuable resource for scientists in industry and academia interested in the development of natural based materials and products. It is particularly relevant for those working in chemical engineering, sustainable chemistry, agricultural sciences, biology and materials sciences.

Comparative Wood Anatomy

Comparative Wood Anatomy PDF Author: Sherwin Carlquist
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3662045788
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 450

Get Book Here

Book Description
This second edition has been completely revised and has incorporated significant changes that have occurred in wood anatomy over the past years. "This book is recommended to all who are interested in a modern, stimulating, competent, and well illustrated work." (Holzforschung).

Analytical Methods in Wood Chemistry, Pulping, and Papermaking

Analytical Methods in Wood Chemistry, Pulping, and Papermaking PDF Author: Eero Sjöström
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3662038986
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 344

Get Book Here

Book Description
In its broadest sense, and according to the traditional conception, wood chemistry is a comprehensive discipline, ranging from fundamental studies to practical applications. The manifold constituents, located in different morphological regions in the wood, results in an extreme complexity of wood chemistry. Ever more sophisticated endeavors needing fundamental studies and advanced analytical methods are necessary in order to delve deeper into various problems in pulping and papermaking. Gradually, new, improved ana lytical methods, originally developed for research purposes, are currently replacing many of the old "routine" methods in practical applications. Because of the expanse of the subject, an attempt to write a book of this size about analytical methods seems, perhaps, too ambitious. Of course, a whole book series of several volumes would be necessary to cover this topic completely. However, there is undoubtedly a need for a more condensed presentation which does not go into experimental details, but is limited to the basic principles of the analytical methods and illustrates their applica tions. The emphasis is on more advanced and potential methods, and partic ularly on those based on different types of spectroscopy and chromatography.

Characterization of the Cellulosic Cell Wall

Characterization of the Cellulosic Cell Wall PDF Author: Douglas D. Stokke
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0470999705
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 296

Get Book Here

Book Description
This volume brings together a broad array of scientific expertise to focus on the characterization and utilization of cellulosic materials. Researchers from Austria, Germany, Sweden, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and the U.S. explore many facets of the plant cell wall, from its fundamental structure and its manipulation via molecular biology to its application in composite materials. Exciting applications of near infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, confocal microscopy, and molecular coupling as a viscoelastic probe provide new insights into the ultrastructure and properties of cellulosic materials.