Organic chemistry

Pulp and paper industry

Polymer science

Softening point

Engineering

Composite material

Chemistry

Materials science

Cellulose

Lignin

Solid wood

Veneer

Layer (electronics)

Softening

Polymer

Woodworking

Mechanical engineering

Softwood

European Journal of Wood and Wood Products

The lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses in wood are polymers that behave similarly to the artificial polymers and are bonded together in wood. Lignin differs from the other two substances by its highly branched, amorphous, three-dimensional structure. Under appropriate conditions, the moist lignin incorporated in the wood softens at about 100 °C and allows the molecules of it to deform in the cell walls. There are many advantages and disadvantages to this phenomenon. If we know this process accurately and the industrial areas where it matters, we may be able to improve these industrial processes. This article provides a brief theoretical summary of lignin softening and the woodworking processes where it plays a role: wood welding, pellet manufacturing, manufacturing binderless boards, solid wood bending, veneer manufacturing, and solid wood surface densification.

The role of lignin in wood working processes using elevated temperatures: an abbreviated literature survey