Newly Elected Fellows for 2006
- Prof. Dr. H. Michael BARNES
Mississippi State University, USA
For major contributions toward advancing our basic understanding of the effect of heat/moisture conditions on the strength properties of preservative and fire retardant treated wood. Also cutting edge research leading to the development of diffusion coefficients for the movement of boron in wood. Development of data base information leading to proper redrying schedules for wood and wood-based materials treated with waterborne preservatives. Adding to the knowledge base on the effect of biocides and fire retardants on the properties of wood and wood-based materials, including roof temperature histories used in modeling effects on roof sheathing. Pioneered work on treatment of wood with copper naphthenate and resultant properties. Development of data on the durability of wood-based composites including durability modeling (current) for engineered composites. Ground-breaking work on the development of diffusion coefficients for the movement of boron in wood. Work on new technologies for treatment of wood and treatment mechanics.
- Prof. Dr. Colette BREUIL
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Professor Colette Breuil has made important research contributions in two general areas: the identification and biology of wood-inhabiting fungi, and the understanding and analysis of extractives in wood. In the first area, Dr. Breuil's group has applied molecular tools in identifying many wood-inhabiting sapstaining and decay fungi. Using biochemical and molecular techniques, her group has also elucidated 1) the metabolic pathway for melanin pigment production, 2) gene mutations in albino fungal strains 3) how sapstain fungi retrieve nitrogen from wood, and 4) which of these fungi use wood extractives as a carbon source. Currently, her group is using genomic approaches to investigate genes involved in a) mycelial and yeast-like growth, b) secreted enzymes involved in nutrient acquisition, c) pigmentation, and d) pathogenicity.
- Prof. Dr. Nam-Seok CHO
Chungbuk National University, Cheongju , Korea
Dr. Cho has studied the heterogeneity of lignin structure, mainly compound middle lamella (CML) lignin in hardwood cell walls. Film-like substances derived from CML fraction during high yield sulfite pulping were isolated by his unique decantaion technique, and firstly provided significant information in 1980 about the presence of guaiacyl-rich lignin structure in CML region compared to secondary wall of hardwood cell wall. He also developed new pollution-free high-yield pulping processes, such as nitric acid, alkali-urea, two stage sulfite-NaOH and sulfomethylated pulpings using alkali-aldehydes. Since 1996, his research has been focused on application of fungal enzymes, mainly laccase, to pulp and paper industry, e.g., biobleaching, decolorization of bleaching plant effluent and biodetoxification of phenolic pollutants from the pulping and bleaching industries, production and purification of laccase enzymes from basidiomycetes, and its immobilization. Recently he has reported a new low molecular mediated system using acetovanillone (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyacetophenone, AV) and acetosyringone (3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxyacetophenone, AS) with fungal laccase for depolymerization of lignin derivatives. Fungal laccase can cooperate with AV and AS in degradation of high molecular fraction of lignosulfonates (LSA) and non-phenolic lignin model dimer, veratrylglycerol-β-vanillate ether (VVE). These compounds are produced in the process of wood (or lignin) degradation and much cheaper than conventional expensive mediators, ABTS, HBT and HAA. Thus, those approaches could be applicable to efficient and environmentally friendly methods for pulp and paper industry, bioremediation and others. His recent studies using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle measurements identified the effect of heat treatment on sizing development of alkylketene dimer (AKD). XPS analysis of AKD/2,3-dimethyl cellulose (23MC) and hydrolyzed AKD/23MC(0.3/99.7, w/w) blend films showed that hydrolyzed AKD/23MC blend films had much more distribution of alkyl chains on its surface than AKD/23MC blend films. Its means that hydrolyzed AKD/23MC blend film showed higher hydrophobicity than AKD/23MC blend film.
- Professor Dr. Paul A. COOPER
University of Toronto, Canada
Investigation of the chemistry of waterborne preservative fixation in wood, evaluation of factors that affect the processes and their practical implication for the wood preservation industry. Investigated the fundamental chemistry of preservative reaction with wood, effects of wood species and properties on fixation and the effects of processing conditions on fixation. Contributed to the development of improved technologies for optimizing CCA and ACQ fixation processes and reducing health and environmental impacts of treated wood at the treatment plant. Developed quality control procedures for monitoring CCA fixation. Developed a predictive model for the extent of CCA fixation from the time-temperature history of wood after treatment. Investigated waste management of treated wood removed from service and other wood preservative wastes. Diffusion and interaction of wood treating chemicals in the wood cell wall/lumen/bound water matrix, providing a fundamental understanding of how cationic, anionic and neutral chemicals diffuse in the bound water/free water system in wood and equalize between the two water phases in wood. This helps clarify the mechanism of fixation of these components and how they are distributed on the microscopic scale. It leads to understanding of the relative effectiveness of different systems and provides insight into how efficacy may be enhanced.
- Dr. Gordon James LEARY
Silverstream, New Zealand
Dr. Leary began his career with two experiences that led him directly to lignin and its colour chemistry - a doctoral degree on phenol chemistry and a post doctoral year with Nobel laureate George Porter studying the photochemistry of quinones. As a result, in the 1960s, he pioneered research on the yellowing of wood and mechanical pulps by light. These studies defined a number of parameters and mechanisms of yellowing and set the stage for many subsequent investigations of yellowing by other workers. Later, Gordon Leary broadened his interest in chromophores and lignin colour chemistry to examine mechanical pulp bleaching of both wood and straw pulps and the mechanism of alkaline darkening. Mechanical pulp bleaching, of course, aims to retain the lignin but remove or modify its chromophores. Gordon Leary has also contributed to lignin structural investigations, particularly the role of reactive intermediates - mainly radicals and quinone methides - in lignin biosynthesis, lignin degradation and lignin-carbohydrate bonding. In some topochemical studies carried out at STFI in the 1970s Gordon Leary confirmed that lignin structure varies with its location in the different cell wall layers or middle lamella. Wishing to study in situ lignin, he also pioneered early studies into solid state 13C MAS nmr of wood. In a series of papers Gordon Leary showed that quinone methides might be the reactive species involved in lignin-carbohydrate bond formation that it could also occur by exchange of lignin benzylic hydroxylic groups for sugars confirming, Freudenberg's proposal. He discovered that addition of hydroxyl compounds, like water, to quinone methides is reversible and model lignin-carbohydrate bonds are readily formed at neutral pHs by exchange of the benzylic hydroxyl group in p-hydroxybenzyl alcohols with sugars. Lignin-carbohydrate bonds are likely to be formed analogously in the wood cell wall.
- Dr. Regis B. MILLER
Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Dr. Miller's research in systematic wood anatomy has shown systematic links that have endured even DNA findings in recent times. His foresighted and creative research in computer-assisted wood identification foreshadowed the development of two IAWA lists of features for identification. He is an acknowledged world-renowned expert in the science of wood identification and has identified more than 50,000 specimens from a host of scientists and others at universities, museums, and industries. In addition he has responded to many inquires concerning uses and wood properties. He has maintained and enlarged the world's largest research wood collection until it is now over 100,000 specimens. To further expand the usefulness of the collections, he began the development of databases containing the information about the specimens including the addition of images of the original index cards, the wood specimen, and the herbarium sheet (if available). He also developed a database of common and scientific names with links to tech sheets of properties and uses that is available on the web. He has been a council member, the Deputy Executive Secretary and presently the Executive Secretary of IAWA. In addition he has coordinated meetings and technical sessions for IUFRO, IAWA, and botanical societies. His research interests include systematic wood anatomy, and newer approaches to wood identification including computer-assisted wood identification, chemical indicators (sodium nitrite, chrome azurol-S), and longwave fluorescence of surface and water extracts.
- Prof. Dr. Gregory S. SHUBIN
Moscow State Forestry University, Russia
Prof. Shubin has made important contributions to the scientific community in heat and mass transfer, wood drying, and thermal processes. Heat, moisture and thermo-moisture, thermodynamic, and hygroscopic wood characteristics were obtained for many wood species. It was shown that there are caverns in dry hardwood and such wood had higher FSP. A formula for the calculation of FSP was suggested. The independent transfer of free water in wood was demonstrated experimentally. A unified theory of drying and heating of wood was developed which allowed analytical and engineering methods for calculation of drying times and drying schedules. Mechanisms of low and high temperature drying, radiation-vacuum, oscillating, helio-drying, drying in liquids, and initial and conditioning treatments were examined. Recommendations on the design of drying and heating equipment were made. Methods of estimation of multi-dimensionality and anisotropy for calculation of duration of drying and heating processes were developed. Recommendations on improvement of aerodynamic characteristics of drying kilns were suggested. Formulas for calculation of problems with moving phase transition boundary were developed. Improved systems of equations of heat and mass transfer were developed. The system of equations may be used for decision of many technological problems: duration of wood drying in different zones of stacks when optimizing drying schedules, parameters of phase transition (ratio between vapour and liquid), etc. Removal of liquid particles into boundary layer at temperate velocity of evaporation was found experimentally by means of laser and film techniques, which allowed the determination of the influence of water exchange on heat exchange. Professor Shubin recently passed away.
- Prof. Dr. Bunichiro TOMITA
University of Tsukuba, Japan
Prof. Tomita started his career of Wood Chemist with terpenes, but his first and foremost achievement is to have brought to bear the power of C13 NMR analysis on the study of the synthesis and application of wood adhesives. He was the first to do this and in such way to explain a great part of the phenomena and kinetics occurring during the preparation of UF and melamine resins and adhesives. This gave real insight to modern knowledge of wood adhesives and resins, and allowed substantial progress in the formulation of resins that dominate the wood adhesives field even today. The series of the first 5 of his 12 best publications listed below has become a scientific literature« classic » both for its pioneering content and the impact it generated on the subject, as well as showing to younger generations in the field how top-class research in this field has to be conducted. A second series of publications, now equally renowned, concentrates on the reactions and kinetics to prepare for the first time phenol-urea-formaldehyde (PUF) wood adhesives: for these wood adhesives, now commercial, he was again the first to achieve, formulate and characterize what was wanted. At the time this was performed, it was very difficult« cutting edge » research. The flexibility of Prof. Tomita has permitted him to have many other successes in the field of wood composites, wood adhesives (epoxy resins as reinforcement of« liquefied » wood) and wood chemistry (lignin liquefaction), for which he is also well known, but the ones described above are the examples of his« finest moments. »
- Prof. Dr. Hiroyuki YAMAMOTO
University of Nagoya, Japan
1. Growth stress generation and its biomechanical effect in growing tree.
He investigated the relationship between abnormal tissue structures and its growth stresses in reaction woods, and revealed the anatomical and chemical factors that control the magnitude and the sign of the growth stress generated in the xylem fiber. He applied those factors to his wood fiber model that predicts the mechanical behaviors of the wood fiber during the cell maturation, and he deduced a new hypothesis on the microscopic mechanism of growth stress generation. Moreover, he explained a biomechanical role of growth stress generation in reaction woods on controlling the shape of tree branch by modeling the tree shoot as a growing architecture.
2. Microscopic mechanism of origins of various mechanical properties of wood, by using a fiber mechanical model.
He developed his wood fiber model into the one that can predict the hygromechanical behaviors of wood. Thus, he explained the microscopic mechanism of shrinking and swelling behaviors of wood cell wall, and explained origin of the moisture-dependent change of the axial Young's modulus of wood as the hygromechanical behavior of each cell wall component. Moreover, he clarified the role of gelatinous layer on the characteristic behaviors of the tension wood xylem.Other than the above fundamental studies, he published a number of papers on (a) the effects of growth rate on xylem properties of the fast-growing species (Acacia spp., Paraserianthes sp., Eucalyptus spp., Tectona grandis) for timber utilization, (b) microscopic mechanism of longitudinal tensile creep behavior of wood, so on and so forth.
- Prof. Dr. Wout Boerjan
University of Ghent/Belgium
Wout Boerjan has made fundamental contribution to our knowledge of molecular genetics of trees. His current work in metabolite profiling of normal and genetically engineered poplar trees is prone to establish new insight in lignin biosynthesis pathways and plant breeding. He has gained international recognition for the scientific quality of his work.
