Impact Factor: 2.4

Published since January 1, 1947

Holzforschung

Cellulose – Hemicelluloses – Lignin – Wood Extractives

ISSN: 1437-434X

Editor-in-chief: Lennart Salmén

Editorial Board: Geoffrey Daniel, Holger Militz, Thomas Rosenau, Herbert Sixta, Tapani Vuorinen, Dimitris S. Argyropoulos, Yu Balakshin, Ingo Burgert, Jose C. del Rio, Dmitry V. Evtuguin, Charles E. Frazier, Kazuhiko Fukushima, Wolfgang Gindl-Altmutter, W. G. Glasser, Bjarne Holmbom, Akira Isogai, John F. Kadla, Gerald Koch, Dominique Lachenal, Christiane Laine, Shawn D. Mansfield, J.J. Morrell, Peter Niemz, Antje Potthast, Arthur J. Ragauskas, John Ralph, Robert W. Rice, Tor P. Schultz, Jussi Sipilä, Toshiyuki Takano, Hans Theliander, Johannes Welling, Stefan Willför, Hiroshi Yoshihara

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About this journal

Objective
Holzforschung (HF) is an international scholarly journal that publishes cutting-edge research on the biology, chemistry, physics and technology of wood and wood components. High quality papers about biotechnology and tree genetics are also welcome. Rated year after year as one of the top scientific journals in the category of Pulp and Paper (ISI Journal Citation Index), Holzforschung represents innovative, high quality basic and applied research. The German title reflects the journal's origins in a long scientific tradition, but all articles are published in English to stimulate and promote cooperation between experts all over the world. Ahead-of-print publishing ensures fastest possible knowledge transfer.

Topics

Biology, chemistry, physics and technology of wood and wood components
Biotechnology and tree genetics

Article formats
Original articles, Reviews, Short notes

> Information on submission process

Your Benefits

Your benefits:

Cutting-edge research
Interdisciplinary approach
High quality basic and applied research
Ahead-of-print online publications

History

Holzforschung was founded in 1947. At the start, German was the sole publishing language of Holzforschung. In 1955 it became also possible to publish in French and English, and in 1993 the journal switched to an English only publication. This change was necessary as after World War II German was no longer the leading language in the natural sciences. With the significant rise in international attention and distribution, Holzforschung paid tribute to the linguistic needs of the wood science community around the world.

Other publications in the field
Wood Composites. Materials Manufacturing and Engineering. J. Paulo Davim, Alfredo Aguilera (Eds.) De Gruyter. 2016.
Nordic Pulp & Paper Research Journal

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Volume 77 Issue 9

September 2023

Publicly Available September 12, 2023

Frontmatter

Page range: i-iii

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Wood Growth/Morphology

August 4, 2023

Planting spacing influences radial variation of basic density and chemical composition of wood from fast growing young Eucalyptus plantations

Emanuella Mesquita Pimenta, Emilly Gracielly dos Santos Brito, Paola Freitas Gomes, Fernanda Maria Guedes Ramalho, Graziela Baptista Vidaurre, Allan Motta Couto, Otávio Camargo Campoe, Paulo Ricardo Gherardi Hein

Page range: 657-669

Abstract

Planting spacing plays an important role in tree growth and wood formation. Thus, the aim of this study was to determinate how planting spacing and genetic material affect the radial variation of basic density and chemical composition of wood. The sampling of this study was based on 4 clones of Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis at 5 years of age planted in four spacings (3 × 1, 3 × 2, 3 × 3 and 3 × 4 m). To determine the basic density (BD), extractive (EXT) and lignin (LT) content, wood discs were removed at breast height, which were sectioned in three radial positions (pith, intermediate and sapwood). The results showed that genetic material, planting spacing and radial position affected the values of BD, EXT and LT content. The BD and EXT content tended to increase with increased planting spacing, while the LT content tended to decrease. In relation to the radial variation, the basic density showed an increase in the pith-bark direction, while the EXT content showed a decrease in this direction. For LT, no significant difference was observed in the pith-bark direction. In general, the largest planting spacings promoted the highest rates of variation of the properties studied.

July 27, 2023

Site quality impacts tree form, heartwood content and veneer production of plantation-grown Pinus patula

Jaco-Pierre van der Merwe, Sechaba Madiope, Olwethu Spogter, Hilton Kuisis, Jaco Potgieter, Oscar Tait, Charlie Clarke, Shawn D. Mansfield

Page range: 670-687

Abstract

Plantation forest species were introduced into South Africa due to limited availability of native forests for wood-derived products. Currently, the Mexican pine species, Pinus patula, is the most widely planted softwood species in the country. To study the effect of growth environment on wood and processing properties for the species, sample plots were established in a 20-year rotation covering a wide range of soil geologies and altitudes in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Temperature and seasonal rainfall were also determined for the sample plots. Randomly selected sample trees were harvested from the plots and processed at a plywood plant to determine veneer recovery and quality. Trees grown on sites composed of granite soils, with higher annual maximum temperatures and less rainfall, found in the Highveld region, displayed superior tree size, slenderness, and volume growth, compared to trees grown on dolomite and shale soils common to the Lowveld region. Veneer derived from Lowveld trees had more splits which were largely related to defects. Larger trees also had a greater percentage volumetric heartwood and a smaller live crown, compared to smaller trees. Highveld trees had greater net veneer recovery and produced better quality veneer than trees grown on the Lowveld. In the Mpumalanga forestry region, strong co-relatedness exists between soil geology, altitude, and climate. Although tree form and wood properties were found to differ with varying soil geology and altitude, these differences were primarily related to climate rather than soil properties. These findings highlight the pitfalls associated with neglecting either climate or soil properties when analysing site-specific growing conditions on tree growth and form.

Wood Chemistry

September 6, 2023

A new look at the kinetics of oxygen delignification of softwood kraft pulp

Azadeh Pahlevanzadeh, Adriaan van Heiningen

Page range: 688-699

Abstract

Using a Berty-type CSTR reactor, Ji (2007. Kinetics and mechanism of oxygen delignification , Ph.D. thesis. The University of Maine) obtained oxygen delignification kinetics first order in lignin when neglecting the higher initial delignification phase. In the present study the same Berty/CSTR reactor with an improved temperature control was used to determine the oxygen delignification kinetics of Southern Pine kraft pulp, with the kinetics now corrected for lignin removed by oxygen-free alkaline leaching. This removes the initial high delignification rate peak so that the kinetics over the entire lignin range can be modelled as first order in “reactive” lignin, which is lignin corrected for a small amount of unreactive lignin. It suggests that softwood pulp oxygen delignification consists of two contributions; phenolic delignification and alkaline leaching. The initial alkaline leaching phase is mathematically described by semi-infinite alkaline diffusion of dissolved lignin trapped in the cell wall after pulp washing. For phenolic delignification, the reaction orders in alkali concentration and oxygen of the power law delignification equation are 0.3 and 0.44 respectively, while the activation energy is 63 kJ/mol. Taking into account the unreactive HexA, the small amount of unreactive lignin, and the lignin removed by alkaline leaching, the kappa number is well predicted by the new delignification kinetics.

Wood Physics/Mechanical Properties

Open Access August 31, 2023

Microscopic computed tomography aided finite element modelling as a methodology to estimate hygroexpansion coefficients of wood: a case study on opposite and compression wood in softwood branches

Sara Florisson, Marie Hartwig, Malin Wohlert, Erik Kristofer Gamstedt

Page range: 700-712

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Abstract

Microscopic X-ray computed tomography (XµCT) aided finite element (FE) modelling is a popular method in material science to relate material properties to heterogeneous microstructures. Recently, a methodology was developed for the XµCT aided FE modelling of wood, which characterises the process from specimen preparation to estimation of material properties. In the current research, this methodology is tested on branches of Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) Karst.) to estimate the hygroexpansion coefficients of opposite (OW) and compression wood (CW). These properties are largely unknown and have engineering implications. The study is complemented by measurements of density, moisture content (MC) and elastic moduli. Results showed that the methodology assisted in the design of an integrated process and the identification of bottlenecks. It was seen that the level of detail of the numerical model had a strong influence on the obtained hygroexpansion properties. CW from branches showed higher density and longitudinal shrinkage coefficients, and elastic moduli less affected by MC. These differences are unlikely caused by MC, but more likely by the characteristics of the microstructure.

July 17, 2023

Swelling behavior of thermally modified timber from a cellular and chemical perspective

Yufa Gao, Yongdong Zhou, Zongying Fu, Jan Van Den Bulcke, Joris Van Acker

Page range: 713-723

Abstract

Thermally modified timber (TMT) reduces hygroscopicity, increases dimensional stability, and decay resistance. Although there is a substantial amount of research on heat-treated wood, investigations on the sensitivity of cell wall swelling behavior to water variation are limited. Therefore, this study focused on the swelling behavior of TMT from cellular and chemical perspectives. The effects of heat treatment on the hygroscopicity and swelling behavior of the wood cell walls were studied using dynamic vapor sorption and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Changes in the chemical composition and cellulose crystallinity were studied using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray diffraction. The results revealed that the hygroscopic swelling of latewood significantly decreased with increasing treatment temperature, reducing the anisotropy of the wood cell swelling. The hygroscopicity of wood was reduced by heat treatment, and a clear decrease in hysteresis was observed at elevated treatment temperatures. The FTIR spectra indicated that both hemicellulose and lignin were degraded. The crystallinity and lateral size of the cellulose increased after heat treatment. Similar changes in the chemical composition and crystallinity of cellulose were observed in the latewood and earlywood.

Wood Technology/Products

August 4, 2023

Fit-free analysis of fluorescence lifetime imaging data using chemometrics approach for rapid and nondestructive wood species classification

Te Ma, Tetsuya Inagaki, Satoru Tsuchikawa

Page range: 724-733

Abstract

Conventional fluorescence spectroscopy has been suggested as a valuable tool for classifying wood species rapidly and non-destructively. However, because it is challenging to conduct absolute emission intensity measurements, fluorescence analysis statistics are difficult to obtain. In this study, another dimension of fluorescence, that is, fluorescence lifetime, was further evaluated to address this issue. A time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopic measurement system was first designed, mainly using a streak camera, picosecond pulsed laser at 403 nm, and a spectroscope, to collect the fluorescence time-delay (FTD) profiles and steady-state fluorescence intensity (FI) spectra simultaneously from 15 wood species. For data analysis, principal component analysis was used to “compress” the mean-centered FTD and FI spectra. Then, support vector machine classification analysis was utilized to train the wood species classification model based on their principal component scores. To avoid overfitting, ten-fold cross-validation was used to train the calibration model using 70 % of the total samples, and the remaining 30 % hold-out validation was used to test its reproducibility. The cross-validation accuracies were 100 % (5 softwoods) and 96 % (10 hardwoods), with test-validation accuracies of 96 % and 89 %.

Open Access July 24, 2023

Comparative investigation of chemical and structural properties of charred fir wood samples by Raman and FTIR spectroscopy as well as X-ray-micro-CT technology

David H. Ebner, Mariagrazia Tortora, Diana E. Bedolla, Giulia Saccomano, Lisa Vaccari, Marius-Catalin Barbu, Jakub Grzybek, Thomas Schnabel

Page range: 734-742

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Abstract

Wood surface charring is a treatment method commonly employed to enhance weather protection and aesthetic appearance of building exteriors. This study aims to investigate the differences between two wood surface charring processes: the traditional Japanese method known as Yakisugi and an alternative charring technique industrially manufactured with a gas burner. The objective of the study was to assess whether a thicker layer after Yakisugi treatment has any advantages over a thinner layer after the alternative process. Vibrational spectroscopy techniques including UV resonance Raman (UVRR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, were utilized in conjunction with X-ray-micro-CT analysis. The findings revealed that ATR-FTIR spectroscopy detected the degradation of carbohydrates and changes in lignin within the charred surface, although both processes exhibited similar vibrational contributions. In contrast, UVRR spectroscopy provided insights into the carbonized layers, revealing spectral differences indicating variations in temperature during the charring processes. X-ray micro-CT analysis visually highlighted significant differences in the coal layers, suggesting distinct combustion profiles. Remarkably, the macrostructure of wood treated with Yakisugi remained intact despite a thicker charred layer compared to the alternative charring techniques. However, further investigations are required to assess the weather stability of the alternative charring method for a comprehensive understanding.

August 3, 2023

Improved bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp-based tissue papers incorporating wet-strength resins

Marina Matos, Ana M. Carta, Paula C. Pinto, Dmitry V. Evtuguin

Page range: 743-751

Abstract

Common tissue paper manufacturing trends aim at partial or total replacement of softwood pulp with hardwood pulp for its production, such as bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp (BEKP), in order to optimize the process and the final product properties such as softness. However, the use of a single type of hardwood fiber results in lower strengths of both wet and dry webs. To maintain necessary strength and desired properties, the incorporation of several additives is often required. In this context, low molecular weight polyethylene glycol (PEG) and different wet strength resins, such as polyamideamine-epichlorohydrin (PAE) and glyoxalated polyacrylamide (GPAM) resins, were combined to achieve an innovated product with improved properties. In particular, wet and dry tensile strength was significantly improved when combining PEG and wet strength resins, especially observed in tissue papers prepared with PAE resin, high-charge cationic agent and bulk applied aqueous PEG solution. Noteworthy that water absorption capacity and softness of tissue paper were not critically affected by PEG incorporation, regardless of application method used (in bulk or by spray).

Ahead of Print / Just Accepted

Ahead of Print / Just Accepted

Volume 77 (2023)

Volume 76 (2022)

Volume 75 (2021)

Volume 74 (2020)

Volume 73 (2019)

Volume 72 (2018)

Volume 71 (2017)

Volume 70 (2016)

Volume 69 (2015)

Volume 68 (2014)

Volume 67 (2013)

Volume 66 (2012)

Volume 65 (2011)

Volume 64 (2010)

Volume 63 (2009)

Volume 62 (2008)

Volume 61 (2007)

Volume 60 (2006)

Volume 59 (2005)

Volume 58 (2004)

Volume 57 (2003)

Volume 56 (2002)

Volume 55 (2001)

Volume 54 (2000)

Volume 53 (1999)

Volume 52 (1998)

Volume 51 (1997)

Volume 50 (1996)

Volume 49 (1995)

Volume 48 (1994)

Volume 47 (1993)

Volume 46 (1992)

Volume 45 (1991)

Volume 44 (1990)

Volume 43 (1989)

Volume 42 (1988)

Volume 41 (1987)

Volume 40 (1986)

Volume 39 (1985)

Volume 38 (1984)

Volume 37 (1983)

Volume 36 (1982)

Volume 35 (1981)

Volume 34 (1980)

Volume 33 (1979)

Volume 32 (1978)

Volume 31 (1977)

Volume 30 (1976)

Volume 29 (1975)

Volume 28 (1974)

Volume 27 (1973)

Volume 26 (1972)

Volume 25 (1971)

Volume 24 (1970)

Volume 23 (1969)

Volume 22 (1968)

Volume 21 (1967)

Volume 20 (1966)

Volume 19 (1965)

Volume 18 (1964)

Volume 17 (1963)

Volume 16 (1962)

Volume 15 (1961)

Volume 14 (1960)

Volume 13 (1959)

Volume 12 (1958)

Volume 11 (1958)

Volume 10 (1957)

Volume 9 (1955)

Volume 8 (1954)

Volume 7 (1953)

Volume 6 (1952)

Volume 5 (1951)

Volume 4 (1950)

Volume 3 (1949)

Volume 2 (1948)

Volume 1 (1947)

Journal Impact Factor	2.4	2022, Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, 2023)
5-year Journal Impact Factor	2.4	2022, Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, 2023)
Journal Citation Indicator	0.92	2022, Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, 2023)
CiteScore	4.3	2022, Scopus (Elsevier B.V., 2023)
SCImago Journal Rank	0.447	2022, SJR (Scimago Lab, 2023; Data Source: Scopus)
Source Normalized Impact per Paper	0.868	2022, CWTS Journal Indicators (CWTS B.V., 2023; Data Source: Scopus)

More information about journal rankings

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You can easily submit your manuscript online. Simply go to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/holz and you will be guided through the whole peer-reviewing and publishing process.

Your benefits of publishing with us

Rapid online publication ahead-of-print with short turnaround times
One of the top scientific journals in the category of Pulp and Paper (ISI Journal Citation Index)
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Submission process

Before submitting your article please have a look at our Instructions_for_Authors
Submission of your paper via our submission management tool
Peer review process (you will be guided through every step)
Decision on your paper (4-6 weeks for submission to first decision)
When manuscripts are accepted subject to revision, the revised manuscript should be returned within approx. 60 days
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Manuscripts must be written in clear and concise English
Before submitting your article please have a look at our Ethical Guidelines and our Copyright Transfer Agreement
Once your article is accepted you have the option to publish it open access
Our Repository Policy allows you to distribute 30 PDF copies of your published article to colleagues (the PDF has to include the information that it is an author's copy). Please also feel free to distribute the link to the online abstract
If you have any general questions please visit our FAQ for authors or contact us at: Holzforschung.Editorial@degruyter.com

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Hybrid Open Access

In this journal, authors have the option to publish their article under an open access license. Open Access allows you as an author to retain copyright and share your findings with colleagues and interested parties worldwide without any restraints.
Please note that authors from institutions with which we have a transformative agreement can publish open access without paying an article processing charge (APC). More information on the eligible institutions and articles can be found under the "Funding and Support" tab here.

Editorial

Editor-in-Chief
Lennart Salmén, Sweden

Editorial Board
G. Daniel, Sweden
H. Militz, Germany
T. Rosenau, Austria
H. Sixta, Austria
T. Vuorinen, Finland

Advisory Board
D.S. Argyropoulos, USA
M.Y. Balakshin, USA
I. Burgert, Switzerland
D.V. Evtuguin, Portugal
C.E. Frazier, USA
K. Fukushima, Japan
G. Gellerstedt, Sweden
W. Gindl-Altmutter, Austria
W.G. Glasser, USA
B. Holmbom, Finland
A. Isogai, Japan
J.F. Kadla, Canada
M. Kleen, Finland
G. Koch, Germany
D. Lachenal, France
S.D. Mansfield, Canada
J.J. Morrell, USA
P. Niemz, Switzerland
A. Potthast, Austria
A.J. Ragauskas, USA
J. Ralph, USA
R.W. Rice, USA
U. Schmitt, Germany
T.P. Schultz, USA
J. Sipilä, Finland
J. Welling, Germany
S.M. Willför, Finland
H. Yoshihara, Japan

Editorial Office
Gunda Stöber
Holzforschung
Dr Gruyter
Genthiner Strasse 13
10785 Berlin, Germany
Tel. ++49-30-26005-279
E-mail: Holzforschung.Editorial@degruyter.com

(Deutsch)

Online ISSN: 1437-434X
Print ISSN: 0018-3830
Type: Journal
Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter
First published: January 1, 1947
Publication Frequency: 12 Issues per Year
Audience: Researchers in the field of biology, chemistry, physics and technology of wood and wood components