Guest Editors
Prof. Charalampos Lykidis
Email: clykidis@auth.gr
Affiliation: Laboratory of Wood Technology, Department of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54124, GREECE
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Research Interests: recycling of wood products, alternative raw materials for the production of wood composites, wood/biomass modification & densification

Dr. Vasileios Filippou
Email: filippou@certh.gr
Affiliation: Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, 57 001, Greece
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Research Interests: bioenergy, sustainable biomass utilization, and circular bioeconomy. solid biofuels & biomass conversion, wood science & industrial wood utilization, waste-to-resource technologies, renewable energy & circular bioeconomy

Summary
Densifying wood and biomass expands the possibilities of using renewable resources in high-performance applications while promoting sustainability. Densifying wood results in the enhancement of its mechanical properties allowing for the use of more sustainable and fast-growing wood species in applications that traditionally require denser hardwoods, reducing the demand for slow-growing trees. Densification of biomass improves its efficiency, usability, and economic viability as an energy source. Raw biomass has a low bulk density, which results in inefficient transportation, storage, and handling. Through densification processes like pelletization and briquetting, biomass is compressed into compact, uniform shapes, increasing its energy density and combustion efficiency and ensuring a more consistent and reliable fuel source.
The aim of this Special Issue is to gather high-quality original research and review articles on wood and biomass densification, contributing to a deeper understanding of its scientific and technological aspects. Suggested topics include the key variables influencing the densification of wood and biomass, such as material properties (e.g., composition, additives, moisture content, dimensions, geometry), pretreatment methods (e.g., steaming, chemical softening, and hydrothermal processes), and densification parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure, and duration).
Keywords
wood, biomass, densification, pellets, briquettes, pelletization