Christine Thong

Microwave Modified Timber: Collaborative Research Integrating Product Design for New Materials Development

The process of new materials development traditionally employs science and engineering based inquiry in the initial phases. This paper explores how product design can help determine the feasibility of new materials for commercial application earlier and provide benefits of reduced timeframes, cost and risk factors. It discusses a case study of new materials development based on Microwave Modified Timber Technology, set in the context of an Australian Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) for Wood Innovations. The study supports benefits in early integration of product design research into new materials development processes.

A Empirical Study of Industrial Design Contribution to Advances in Timber Materials Science

Materials Science typically engages research expertise from fields such as engineering, chemistry and physics. This paper will examine how industrial design successfully contributed to timber materials science in the initial phases of basic research. Research from two PhD studies, completed in conjunction with the Australian Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Wood Innovations, will be used as case studies. These case studies discuss examples from research projects investigating new Microwave Modified Timber (MMT) materials development along with surface modified timber. Findings concur that industrial design research was beneficial to early scientific experiments.