B016545 - ASSESSMENT OF WOOD QUALITY, WOOD CHEMISTRY AND FORESTRY BIOMASS

ITALIAN

Knowledge and understanding: effects of the environment and of the forest management on wood structure and ultrastructure, wood defects; principles for grading the standing tree and the log, main primary transformation industries e requirements of the incoming material, boards quality grading, methods and principles of non-destructive grading of wood, main engineered wood products, main organic molecules characterizing plants and composing wood, wood biomass management to process the desired product in biorefinery sector.

Capacity to apply knowledge and understanding: ability to connect silvicutural management to wood properties, grading of wood (tree, log, board) and understand its eligibility to given final destinations, wood assortment, wood grading for structural use, use of non-destructive techniques for the assessment of wood properties, products and processes of biorefinery, use of biorefinery for sustainability.

Effects of the environment and of the forest management on wood structure and properties. Industries for primary machining of wood and requirements of the incoming material. Wood defects and quality of the standing tree, logs and boards. Wood grading for structural use. Non-destructive techniques for wood properties and quality assessment. Main engineered wood products. Wood chemical industries (biorefinery).

Courses to be used as requirements (required and/or recommended):
Students are expected to be familiar with the principles and terminology of biology, inorganic and organic chemistry, wood technology.
Courses recommended: Inorganic chemistry, Organic chemistry, Wood science.

The course is made by 9 CFU corresponding to a total engagement of the student of 225 hours (9 CFU x 25 hours each) considering lectures, seminars and individual study. The activities to be done with the professors are 8 hours for CFU (9 CFU x 8 hours) for a total amount of 72 hours.
These 72 hours will be divided between professors according to the CFU assigned: 6 CFU Prof. Giacomo Goli,2 CFU Prof. Marco Togni, 1 CFU Prof. Giacomo Pietramellara.
The total amount of 72 hours will be divided in:
- lectures and seminars: 48 hours
- laboratory: 6
- practice: 18 hours including an infield day for the assessment of the standing tree and of the logs.

Materials supporting didactics:
Labs equipped with precision balances, microscopes, stereoscopes.
Didactic boards for practicing in the assessment of quality.
Didactic samples for the structural grading using visual method.
Timbergrader device for the automati assessment of wood strength.
Accelerometers and ultrasound devices for non-destructive testing of wood.
Devices for the measurement of moisture content of wood.

Verification of learning and understanding will take place in different ways:
1. – delivery of a report of 2/4 pages about one of the products of the biorefinery sector (the delivery will be managed by the homework function of the e-learning platform),
2. – the delivery of a report (max 20 pages) of the activity performed during the practical works (the delivery will be managed by the homework function of the e-learning platform),
3. – an oral exam where the delivered reports will be discussed and verified the level of understanding of the rest of the program.

The report 1 will receive a binary evaluation (passed/not passed) and will be essential to be admitted at the oral exam.
The report 2 will be evaluated in 30th and will concur for 30% at the formation of the final note.
The oral examination will be avaluated in 30th and will concur for 70% at the formation of the final note.
The student will be evaluated according to the ability to critically illustrate the topisc and the use of an appropriate technical-scientific language.
For the written reports will also be evaluated the ability of the student to redact a technical report.

Recalls of structure and ultra-structure of wood, juvenile wood and reaction woods, cambial activity and factors of influence, effects of growth factors on wood quality, effects of silvicultural practices (initial spacing, thinning; pruning) on wood structure and properties (microfibril angle, density, defects).
Industries of primary transformation of wood: sawing, peeling, slicing, drying and futures of the inlet material.
Plants for the production of the main types of wood derivates panels: chipboards, MDF, plywood and main technological futures of the panels.
Mood modification and impregnation.
Measurement of moisture content in wood and physical principles for the assessment of wood properties by vibrational properties.
Rules for trees and round-wood grading; rules for sawn timber grading.
Appearance grading. Strength grading. Surface measure grading system.
NTC 2018 and the free-lance wood technologist. EN 338. EN 1912. UNI 11035-1,2,3. Inspection and diagnosis of on-site wooden structures.
Wood chemistry: molecular characterization of the main types of molecules.
The biorefinery in relation to the type of products and services obtainable from plant biomasses based on their added value. The covered aspects concern: energy production; the production of paper and cardboard; the production of fertilizers, biostimulants and antipathogenic substances for plants; innovative material for applications in industry and in the building sector; use of biomass from soil phytoremediation; production of molecules for fine chemistry with high market value.

Il legno massiccio. Materiale per un'edilizia sostenibile. 2014. AAVV. Compagnia delle foreste. ISBN 9788898850013.
Wood Quality and its Biological Basis – J.R.Barnett – G.Jeromidis Blackwell Publisching 2003
M.Togni, 2017 Classificazione commerciale del legname grezzo tondo. Regole per la classificazione visuale dei tronchi. Gianico (BS), ERSAF - Regione Lombardia, ISBN 9788899329044. Lozzi, Bosetto. Chimica del legno. Aracne E.d. 2008
The presentation used during the course will be made available on the e-learning platform as well as lecture notes.

Frequency of lectures, practice and lab: although non compulsory, is strongly recommended.