Research topics

Department of Mechanical Processing of Wood

  • Automatic identification of tool wear status when cutting wood-based materials and modification of their blades using beam techniques to increase tool life.
  • Study on the influence of WC grain size on the properties of WC-Co carbides, obtained by advanced sintering technique FAST (Field Assisted Sintering Technology) used for cutting blades for woodworking.
  • Quality aspects of chip machining (dimensional accuracy, shape accuracy, surface roughness, edge condition) of wood materials on CNC machine tools.
  • Research on increasing the durability of wood fire protection.
  • Investigations into the corrosion resistance of carbide blades in contact with wood extract.
  • Modelling of the wood material cutting process by finite element method and other related methods to estimate the nature of WC-Co blade wear during wood material machining.
  • The use of computer vision systems in the woodworking industry.

Department of Wood Science and Wood Protection

  • Analysis of the chemical composition of wood and other lignocellulosic materials by classical and instrumental methods.
  • Physico-chemical and chemical pretreatment, acid and enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass, including wood, straw and other agricultural crops, towards the production of bioethanol.
  • Thermal modification of wood. Chemical modification of wood: furfurylation, acetylation and polymerisation in lumen.
  • Electroacoustic method for the detection of xylophagous insect larvae in wood
  • Influence of wood decay fungi on physical and chemical properties of wood
  • Destructive and non-destructive methods for determining the preservation status of wood subjected to biocorrosion
  • Identification, properties and uses of exotic wood and plantation wood.
  • Wood as an engineering material, modern methods of wood testing e.g. ultrasonic defectoscopy and X-ray computed tomography.
  • Identification and properties of historic and archaeological wood (including charcoals).
  • Effects of habitat and genetic background of trees on their condition and wood properties.
  • Quality control methods for wood materials.
  • Study of the influence of material and technological factors on wood properties
    and wood-based plastics.
  • Use of trees in phytoremediation.
  • Energy use of dendromass.
  • Thermo-humidity phenomena occurring during the manufacture of wood composites.
  • Chemical (including structural strengthening), hydrothermal and thermal treatment of wood.
  • Modelling the shape changes of timber components under the influence of moisture.
  • An analysis of the development of knowledge in the field of timbering together with an analysis of the development of timbering historically.

Department of Technology and Entrepreneurship in the Wood Industry

  • Ecological technologies of material production, rationalisation of design and construction methods, valuation of materials used in furniture and wooden construction.
  • Characterisation of the physical and mechanical properties of bacterial cellulose derived from Kombucha microbial cultures on different nutrient media and the effect of its addition on changes in selected properties of the bonds between wood particles.
  • Development of technologies for production of wood-based materials based on products accompanying sawmill production and definition of guidelines for qualitative classification of wood raw material.
  • Research and conservation issues of wooden architectural monuments, interior furnishings and inventory of historic woodwork.
  • Internationalisation of Polish furniture enterprises – determinants and strategies of building competitive advantage.
  • Economic and organisational issues of the functioning of small and medium-sized enterprises in the wood industry on EU markets.