Process Development for the Manufacture of Organ Pipes from Thermally Modified Timber

In this research and development project, the University is developing an innovative process for the thermal modification of pine timber, with the aim of enabling thermally modified pine to replace the traditionally used spruce in the long term. The project is motivated, on the one hand, by the qualitative and quantitative decline in regional spruce timber stocks as a result of climate change and, on the other, by the susceptibility of untreated wooden organ components to mould. Thermal modification therefore aims, firstly, to reduce the density of the pine without causing excessive losses in its structural properties and, secondly, to significantly increase its natural durability against mould and other wood-destroying organisms. The influence of thermal modification on the acoustic properties of organ pipes is also part of the investigation.

Contributors:

Project leader: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Pfriem

Project team member: János Kneifel