Primary Wood Processing: Principles and Practice

About this book

This book is primarily a general text covering the whole sweep of the forest industries. The over-riding emphasis is on a clear, simple interpretation of the underlying science, demonstrating how such principles apply to processing operations. The book considers the broad question "what is wood?" by looking at the biology, chemistry and physics of wood structure. Wood quality is examined, and explanations are offered on how and why wood quality varies and the implications for processing. Finally, various "industrial processes" are reviewed and interpreted. All chapters have been written by specialists, but the presentation targets a generalist audience.

Contents

Basic wood chemistry and cell wall ultrastructure; the structure of wood - an overview; characteristics of timber - within tree variations; water and wood; dimensional instability of timber; transfer processes in wood; sawmilling; the drying of timber; timber preservation; grading timber; wood panels; plywoods; wood panels - particleboards and fibreboards; an introduction to pulp and paper manufacture; the energy sector - a hidden goliath; wood quality - forest management and utilization.

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