Outstanding participation of Vahideh Akbari at the 2025 joint FPS-SWST conference!

From June 15 to 20, 2025, Vahideh Akbari participated in the joint international conference of the Forest Products Society (FPS) and the Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST), held in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. The 2025 edition was themed: Wood for a Sustainable Future:  « Strengthening the Connection Between Industry and Science ».

At this major scientific event bringing together researchers, industry professionals, and students from around the world, Vahideh presented the latest results of her doctoral research through an oral presentation and a scientific poster, both entitled: « Novel Green Chemistry Strategies for Enhancing Wood Surface Hardness.» Her research project is part of a sustainable innovation approach, proposing wood modification methods based on eco-friendly chemical processes, addressing environmental challenges and the performance needs of the wood products industry.

Her participation was honored with two prestigious awards: the Best Presentation Award, recognizing the scientific quality, clarity, and impact of her presentation, and a travel grant of $500 USD  awarded to support her participation in the conference.

These recognitions highlight the excellence of her academic journey and the relevance of her work for the future of bio-based materials and engineered wood.

Congratulations to Vahideh Akbari for these remarkable achievements and for her influence on the international scientific stage!

Novel Green Chemistry Strategies for Enhancing Wood Surface Hardness

Absreact- The construction sector accounts for 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with building materials and construction alone responsible for 10%. As this trend is expected to rise by 2030, adopting green materials, particularly wood, offers a sustainable solution. While wood is renewable and widely used in residential buildings (71% market share), its low hardness and flammability limit its application in non-residential structures (4%). Wood densification enhances density, hardness, and durability of wood, improving its suitability for broader construction use. Current densification methods, however, have limitations in terms of cost and environmental impact. Therefore, the overarching objective of this project is to develop environmentally friendly bio-based densification formulations to enhance surface wood hardness for interior applications.

This study develops bio-based densification formulations to enhance surface wood hardness using two approaches: a single-cure system via in-situ polymerization through Michael-addition and a dual-cure strategy combining Michael-addition and photopolymerization. Both reactions are green chemistry reactions, conducted in mild conditions with minimizing solvent consumptions, aims to enhance wood densification. To facilitate industrialization of the final products, the proposed methods are simple with high reaction rate and low energy usage toward reducing cost and environmental impacts.

The research comprises two phases: formulation evaluation and application on wood samples. Various formulations were assessed based on conversion rates (real-time infrared spectroscopy), glass transition temperature and crosslinking density (dynamic mechanical analysis), and film hardness (pendulum test). The most effective formulations were then used to impregnate sugar maple, and their densification performance based on chemical retention, density profile, surface hardness, morphology and formulation penetration were examined. Moreover, statistical comparisons were conducted using ANOVA data analysis to verify results.

By integrating these approaches, this study aims to advance sustainable wood-polymer composites to enhance wood properties, particularly hardness, and potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the sector.

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