Wood and plant biomass in general are the most abundant renewable raw materials on the planet. It has almost endless potential for the chemical industry. Plant biomass, including wood, consists of three polymers. By breaking them down chemically and biologically, it is possible to reach the basic materials needed for the chemical industry. Until now, they have only been obtained from oil and other fossil sources. Getting to the raw materials obtained from wood and their further refinement is called WOOD CHEMISTRY.
More than one million tons of wood waste is generated in Estonia every year. It is mainly used as heating material. In addition, we have an abundance of low-value wood and pulpwood, which we often have no use for. However, this is a considerable amount of raw materials that will be lost to the Estonian economy. WOOD CHEMISTRY is a way to get more profit from wood without increasing the amount of felling. WOOD CHEMISTRY can replace the chemical industry based on fossil fuels and has a much smaller ecological footprint. On this page you can find more information about what Estonian scientists are doing in the field of wood chemistry and where and what you can study.
