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Man’s first interest in trees revolved around the wood that could be cut to be used for hand tools, weapons, for carving and as fuel. As skills and then the quality of tools improved, people were able to cut and join slabs of wood to make homes, boats and vehicles of ever increasing complexity.
Forests became more valuable as a result and the qualities of different timber species were recognised. Hard, durable timbers were used where strength was needed while softer, lighter woods were easier to work with for less demanding applications.
The industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries brought changes to the way wood was processed and used. For instance, technology derived from China was developed which allowed wood to be broken down to its smallest fibres which were then filtered out of solutions in fine layers and dried as paper sheets.
Sawmills were able to cut wood at greater speed, in longer lengths and larger sizes – this made the construction of even larger buildings possible. Other processes were developed that let wood be remanufactured into new materials such as plywood and veneer, greatly increasing its utility and value.
An understanding of wood chemistry led to the most important developments. By-products from the pulp industry and other materials extracted from wood were found to have a multitude of uses – at first in glues and paints but later in pharmaceutical products, medicines, food flavourings and additives, solvents and liquid fuels.
Chemists also found ways to separate and extract the basic components of wood. Cellulose – the long chain carbon molecules that give wood its mass and strength – was found to be soluble in certain liquids but could then be reconstituted as thin sheets (cellophane) or threads (which could be woven into a cloth called rayon).
Other products such as plastic substitutes and photographic film are largely based on cellulose products.
So, today, wood products are an integral part of our daily lives. We live in them, sit on them, write on them, eat them, wear them, use them to power our vehicles, paint with them – and so on.
And, wood is just the product of carbon dioxide, energy from the sun and water, combined in a natural process known as photosynthesis. A perpetually sustainable supply and one of the most amazing materials known to man. |