Wood Chemistry

We develop high-performance material technologies and products based on fundamental chemical components and extractives from wood, bark and other plant-based raw materials.

Our key focus areas are: Substitution of non-renewable raw materials with high-performance, environmentally friendly applications, raw material optimisation and conservation in material cycles and the use of by-products from the forestry, agriculture and sawmill industries as materials and the development of material technologies and products on this basis.

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Service portfolio

Research projects commissioned by companies and institutions

  • Technology developments tailored to the size of the company (from micro-enterprises to industrial companies)
  • Support with applying for research funding from national and international funding organisations (including Innosuisse, FOEN, Horizon 2020, M-ERA.NET)
  • Testing services for extractives from wood, bark and other plant-based raw materials
  • Testing services for material emissions and room air quality
  • Testing services for chemistry and structural analysis 
  • Pilot plant for the extraction of secondary plant substances

We are heavily involved in teaching and continuing education. We supervise students’ projects and theses. We also frequently engage master’s students as assistants in research projects. In this way, we contribute to training the experts of the future.

We have connections with the following academic programmes and courses of continuing education:

We aim to transfer all non-confidential research into practice. To this end, we hold events and lectures, write specialist articles, conduct tours, organise workshops, and present our results at trade fairs.

Areas of expertise

Infrastructure

We have extremely well-equipped chemistry and materials laboratories available to us for the professional performance of services and development mandates:

  • Fully automated preparative liquid chromatograph
  • High pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC) with UV detection
  • Gas chromatographs with MS and FID detection
  • Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC)
  • UV/VIS spectrometer
  • IR spectrometer
  • NIR spectrometer
  • Particle size analyser (zetasizer)
  • Thermogravimetry (TGA)
  • Rotational viscosimeter
  • Tensiometer
  • Contact angle measuring instrument
  • Atomic force microscope
  • pH meter
  • Autoclaves and reactors, 250 ml to 10 l
  • Micro-compounder with injection-moulding unit
  • Extraction systems for solid-liquid extraction with organic solvents or hot water
  • Extraction system for liquid CO2 extraction
  • Pilot plant for the extraction of secondary plant substances

Contact

We offer many different collaboration options. I will be happy to answer your questions and look forward to hearing from you: