Research contributions of INIFAP on wood technology and its industrialization processes

Abstract

The technological characterization of the wood of forest species in Mexico is essential to determine its optimal potential use and, thereby, achieve successful transformation and industrialization processes. Within this context, the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP) (National Institute for Research in Forests, Agriculture and Livestock) (INIFAP), through strategic lines of research in science and technology of wood and forest industries and products, has generated scientific knowledge that contributes to improving production systems and processes in the forest products industry within the framework of sustainable development. A compilation and synthesis of the most important results drawn from relevant works in basic and applied research carried out by INIFAP during the years 1986 to 2020 is presented herein. The topics addressed in the sphere of wood technology are physics, mechanics and chemistry of wood, while in terms of industrialization processes, aspects of sawing, drying and machining of wood are developed. Due to the abundance of taxa whose wood is commonly classified as difficult to use, such as the group of oaks and others known as common tropical, emphasis has been placed on the description and use of this type of species for temperate and tropical regions of Mexico. Also presented herein are research perspectives and challenges in wood technology, forest industries and products.