Since January 1, 2008, the former Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products is part of the newly created Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Federal Research Institute of Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries (vTI).
The Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute (vTI) is one of four German federal research institutes under the auspices of the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV). The vTI was created on January 1, 2008 from the German Federal Research Centre for Fisheries, the German Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products and part of the German Federal Agricultural Research Centre.
The vTI drafts scientific basics as decision-making helps for the policy of the German federal government and thus serves, with its application oriented and practice related research, the development of society tomorrow
The vTI is comprised of 15 specialty institutes. The former Insitute for Wood Chemistry was merged after the reorganization with Wood Physics and Wood Biology to form the new Institute for Wood Technology and Wood Biology (HTB). Against the background of an increasing globalisation of wood production and trade, the Institute of Wood Technology and Wood Biology provide scientifically based guidance regarding forest and wood policy of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection and adjacent policy sectors. Major tasks are the quality assurance of wood and wood products with respect to consumer protection, the expansion of the technological capabilities for the increase of wood use, the material use of lignocellulosics as well as environmental and climatic aspects. The Institute takes part in the development of technical standards, testing standards and environmental product declarations and supports the teaching and training within the range of the forest and timber economy.
Research activities of the Institute are conducted in close collaboration with the Divisions of Wood Technology and Wood Biology of the Department of Wood Science of the University of Hamburg. Preferential subjects are:
Wood Structure, Wood Properties and Wood Quality
Wood Damages, Wood Preservation and Wood Drying
Pulp, Paper and Wood Based Panels
Building with wood
Wood and Environment
Wood as Chemical Resource
In the group "Wood as Chemical Resource" research is focused on the analysis of native lignins and characterization of residual lignins in pulp. Utilization of aromatic by-products of pulping as value-added products for substituting phenol in adhesives, nitrogen containing depot-fertilizer, dispersing agents, etc. is preferentially investigated. Degradation of biomass by fast pyrolysis in fluidized-bed reactors followed by upgrading of pyrolysis oils belongs to the main research activities. New analytical techniques, such as analytical pyrolysis and spectroscopic methods in combination with chemometrics, are being developed.
The group has participated in several EU research programs in the following areas:
"Development of advanced fast pyrolysis processes for power and heat" (JOR-CT97-0197)
"Recycling of agricultural materials as a novel slow release fertilizer" (FAIR-CT98-4042)
"Determinations of norms and standards for biomass fast pyrolysis liquids as an alternative renewable fuel for electricity and heat production"
"Degradation of tar water from biomass gasification" (ENK-CT2002-00675)
"Renewable adhesives for industrial wood based panel production" (QLK5-CT2002-01596)
"An assessment of bio-oil toxicity for safe handling and transportation" (NNE5-CT2001-00744)
