Development of continuous densification process of wooden top layers for parquet

We will develop a continuous densification process using local low-density wood species for the application in the parquet production (top layer). The modified wood’s properties are higher density, hardness, extended lifetime & durability.

Situation

The expected lack of certain wood species in the future requires the development of new sustainable material variations to replace the commonly used species in the flooring sector. For that reason, we want to develop a new continuous densification process using local low-density wood species. Through this process, density, abrasion and surface hardness can be increased significantly. Moreover, such modifications improve and extend the overall lifetime and durability of such floorings.

Course of action

In order to find an efficient way to densify the wood continuously, the project is separated into two parts: machine design and construction & process development. Two departments of the BFH are involved in the project: the School of Engineering and Computer Science BFH-TI will be responsible for machine development; the School of Architecture, Wood and Civil engineering BFH-AHB will solve all questions related to process and material properties. One of the biggest challenges in this project will be the stabilization of the densified wood in order to avoid any dimensional change after modification. For this reason, we will test several impregnation procedures and post-treatments to fix the densified wood tissue. The final objective of the project is the building of a continuous densification machine prototype that produces samples with homogeneous density and increased strength properties.

Contact

Prof. Dr. Thomas Volkmer

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• +41 32 344 03 46
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