Wood Biology and Wood Products

PlanaWood 1


Functionalisation of wood and wood-based materials


The aim of the PlanaWood project is to develop production processes for modified solid wood and related wood-based materials with novel properties. The subprojects also serve to qualify young researchers. The following contents are to be dealt with by the interdisciplinary working group:
  • Improvement of the penetration of modification reagents in solid wood and wood veneers by plasma treatment at atmospheric pressure to simplify production processes
  • Improvement of adhesion of modified wood surfaces and wood-based material surfaces, or surfaces of wood-plastic composites by plasma treatment at atmospheric pressure for subsequent production steps, such as coating or bonding
  • Coating of wood and wood material surfaces with nanoscale particles or functional layers to generate fungicidal, UV-stabilizing, emission-reducing, and self-cleaning properties
  • Plasma diagnostics for researching and adapting the "atmospheric pressure plasma" tool to the desired wood modification
The intensive cooperation between the university of applied sciences and the university in the fields of wood sciences, physical technologies and chemical-physical analytics enables interdisciplinary and networked-structured research activities. The research field of wood sciences is represented by the Department of Wood Biology and Wood Products under the direction of Prof. Dr. Holger Militz from the Georg-August University of Göttingen, Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology (UGOE). The fields of physical technologies and chemical-physical analysis are represented by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Viöl (plasma technology) and Prof. Dr. Gisela Ohms (materials analysis) from the HAWK, Hochschule Hildesheim/Holzminden/Göttingen, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Göttingen (HAWK). The aforementioned professors will supervise six doctoral students, three of whom will mainly work at the University of Göttingen and another three at the HAWK. The innovative character of this research collaboration lies in the combination of existing, previously unconnected competences: wood technology and physical technology. Significant improvements in the development of advanced materials and production processes are expected from this combination of competencies.