In this blog post, we will learn how wood is used in various industries through environmental material science and how it contributes to the protection of the ecosystem.
What is the longest and most widely used material in human history? It is probably stone and wood. Wood is not only important for construction and civil engineering, but also a very important resource for paper. In addition, wood is used in various industries in many ways, and its importance is growing day by day. Recently, there has been an increasing number of cases in which useful chemicals are extracted from various species of trees and used commercially. The value of such wood is not limited to physical resources, and the biological resources provided by trees and forests are also endless. When you hear the name “Environmental Materials Science,” you may wonder what materials this major studies for engineering. The material is “wood.” In other words, the Department of Environmental Materials Science is a discipline that teaches the physical and chemical properties of wood and the use of wood.
So, what kind of engineering is learned using wood? With the exception of the fields of architecture, civil engineering, and papermaking, it may not be possible to think of any other suitable fields. At best, could furniture be another possible answer? However, wood can be used in much more diverse fields than you might think. Paper is made by breaking wood down into wood pulp, and it is very important to have a good understanding of the physical and chemical properties of wood in this process. In addition, the paper industry is the largest industry using wood. Paper engineering is one of the most emphasized parts of the curriculum, covering everything from the basic properties of wood to complex chemical processing.
Architecture and furniture production using wood also play an important role in the Department of Environmental Materials Science. Architecture using wood encompasses various fields, including saunas, forest bathing facilities, and wood resorts in recreational forests that we often come across. Wooden flooring is also in the spotlight instead of flooring, and understanding wood plays an important role in this field. The furniture, flooring, and musical instrument manufacturing industries that use wood are as large as the paper industry, and an understanding of the characteristics of wood is essential. However, the use of wood does not end there. The waste generated during the processing of raw wood is used to make plywood, and its range of applications is very wide.
The biological utilization of forest resources is also an important area of environmental material science. For example, various microorganisms that inhabit trees and forests provide compounds that humans can use for their own benefit. Examples include salicylic acid extracted from willows, phytoncides from recreational forests, and taxol from yews. These compounds are not only used as medicines, but also for various industrial purposes. Methanol obtained by fermenting wood and natural rubber extracted from rubber trees are also important resources. Furthermore, environmental materials science can contribute to solving environmental problems through these resources. For example, using microorganisms that decompose hydrocarbons in crude oil in the event of a crude oil spill or researching a water purification system using microorganisms are part of this field.
As such, environmental materials science is a discipline that studies the physical and chemical properties of wood and applies them in real life, as well as seeks ways to utilize the entire forest ecosystem. It covers the use of wood and its by-products, the biological and chemical utilization of forest resources, and the management and conservation of forest resources themselves. Graduates of the Department of Environmental Materials Science can find employment as architectural engineers who design and construct wooden buildings, as engineers at paper mills, or as engineers with expertise in the design and manufacture of musical instruments or furniture. They can also go on to graduate school to become experts in the study of various biological and chemical resources derived from wood and forest resources.
As such, environmental materials science is an academic discipline that plays a very important role both in academia and in real life. The knowledge and skills learned through this major contribute greatly to the management and utilization of resources, which are essential in modern society. Even at this very moment, I am sitting at a desk that has been touched by environmental materials science. Even this desk is the result of a deep understanding of the physical properties of wood and its proper processing.
