Many specialty treatments can be applied to wood to either improve its performance or change its properties. Treatments addressed in this course are those that make permanent changes in the shape of a wood product, improvements in dimensional stability, or improvements in performance through combinations with non-wood resources.  

 

The first section of this course introduces the basic concepts of plasticizing wood. The second section of this course introduces the basic concepts of modified woods including resin treatments, compression treatments and heat treatments. The third section of this course introduces paper-based plastic laminates.

The student will learn about plasticizing wood and the principals of plasticizing and bending wood.  

 

The student will learn about bent wood, laminated, veneered, and bent solid members.  

 

The student will learn about selection of stock and moisture content of bending stock.  

 

The student will learn about bending operations and apparatus, as well as the characteristics of bent wood.   

 

The student will learn about modified woods including resin-treated compressed and non-compressed woods.  

 

The student will learn about heat treatments on wet and dry wood with and without compression.  

 

The student will learn about wood polymer composites.  

 

The student will learn about industrial, decorative, and lignin-filled laminates, as well as paper-faced overlays