A new method of thickening wood and consequently increasing the hardness of this material has been developed at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW). 

The new method of modifying wood by thickening it through progressive pressing is the original idea of Dr Marek Grześkiewicz from the Department of Technology and Entrepreneurship in the Wood Industry at SGGW.

The method was initially applied to beech wood. Later, together with colleagues from the Faculty, partners from the business environment and students, Dr Eng. Marek Grześkiewicz carried out long-term experiments to better understand the properties of new materials. 

According to the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, wood that has been heated and pressed at temperatures above the lignin softening temperature (each type of wood has its own lignin softening temperature) becomes denser and its structure changes. 

The densified wood using the method, developed by Dr Marek Grześkiewicz, exhibits a number of properties that can be of key importance to companies in the interior finishing and construction industries, as well as manufacturers of specialised tools, woodwork and even musical instrument makers.