Dr. Michael Altgen

•  Since October 2020: Stand-in for the professorship of wood physics

• 2017-2020: Postdoctoral Researcher at Aalto University (Finland)

• 2016: Doctoral thesis (Dr. rer. nat.) with the topic “Impact of process conditions in open and closed reactor systems on the properties of thermally modified wood” at the  Georg-August University Göttingen

• 2005-2011: Degree course §Forest Science and Forest Ecology with a focus on Wood Biology and Wood Technology at the Georg-August University Göttingen

  You can also find me on LinkedIn, Google Scholar, Researchgate and ORCID.

·  Structure-property relationships of wood

·  Chemical and thermal modification of wood

·  Wood-water interactions (water sorption and quantification of sorption sites in wood)

·  Chemical imaging of wood and wood products

Publications

1.  Altgen M., Rautkari L. (2020) Humidity dependence of the hydroxyl accessibility in Norway spruce wood. Cellulose, DOI: 10.1007/s10570-020-03535-6

2.  Emmerich L., Altgen M., Rautkri L., Militz H. (2020) Sorption behavior and hydroxyl accessibility of wood treated with different cyclic N-methylol compounds. Journal of Materials Science, DOI: 10.1007/s10853-020-05224-y

3.  Kyyrö S., Altgen M., Rautkari L. (2020) Pressurized hot water extraction of Scots pine sapwood: Effect of wood size on obtained treatment products. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, DOI: 10.1007/s13399-020-00927-3

4.  Awais M., Altgen M., Mäkelä M., Rautkari L. (2020) Hyperspectral near infrared image assessment of surface acetylated solid wood. ACS Applied Bio Materials, DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c00626

5.  Kesari K.K., Leppänen M., Ceccherini S., Seitsonen J., Väisänen S., Altgen M., Johansson L.-S. Maloney T., Ruokolainen J, Vuorinen T. (2020) Chemical characterization and ultrastructure study of pulp fibers. Materials Today Chemistry, DOI: 10.1016/j.mtchem.2020.100324

6.  Altgen M., Awais M., Altgen D., Kyyrö S., Seppäläinen H., Rautkari L. (2020) Micro-tensile behavior of Scots pine sapwood after heat-treatments in superheated steam or pressurized hot water. Journal of Materials Science, DOI: 10.1007/s10853-020-04943-6

7.  Altgen M., Altgen D., Klüppel A., Rautkari L. (2020) Effect of curing conditions on the water vapor sorption behavior of melamine formaldehyde resin and resin-modified wood. Journal of Materials Science, DOI: 10.1007/s10853-020-04814-0

8.  Altgen M., Awais M., Altgen D., Klüppel A., Mäkelä M., Rautkari L. (2020) Distribution and curing reactions of melamine formaldehyde resin in cells of impregnation-modified wood. Scientific Reports, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60418-3

9.  Dong Y., Altgen M., Mäkelä M., Rautkari L., Huges M., Li J.-Z., Zhang S. (2020) Improvement of interfacial interaction in impregnated wood via grafting methyl methacrylate to wood cell walls. Holzforschung, DOI: 10.1515/hf-2019-0144

10. Altgen D., Altgen M., Kyyrö S., Rautkari L., Mai C. (2020) Time-dependent wettability changes on plasma treated surfaces of unmodified and thermally modified European beech wood. European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, Vol. 78(2): 417-420, DOI: 10.1007/s00107-020-01505-0

11. Altgen M., Kyyrö S., Paajanen O., Rautkari L. (2020) Resistance of thermally modified and pressurized hot water extracted Scots pine sapwood against decay by the brown-rot fungus Rhodonia placenta. European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, Vol. 78(1): 161-171, DOI: 10.1007/s00107-019-01482-z

12. Penttilä P., Altgen M., Carl N., van der Linden P., Morfin I., Österberg M., Schweins R., Rautkari L. (2020) Moisture-related changes in the nanostructure of woods studied with X-ray and neutron scattering. Cellulose, Vol: 27(1): 71-87, DOI: 10.1007/s10570-019-02781-7

13. Uimonen T., Hautamäki S., Altgen M., Kymäläinen M., Rautkari L. (2020) Dynamic vapour sorption protocols for the quantification of accessible hydroxyl groups in wood. Holzforschung, Vol. 74(4): 412-419, DOI: 10.1515/hf-2019-0058

14. Hautamäki S., Altgen M., Altgen D., Larnøy E., Hänninen T., Rautkari L. (2020) The effect of diammonium phosphate and sodium silicate on the adhesion and fire properties of birch veneer. Holzforschung, Vol. 74(4): 372-381, DOI: 10.1515/hf-2019-0059

15. Willems W., Altgen M., Rautkari L. (2020) A molecular model for reversible and irreversible hygroscopicity changes by thermal wood modification. Holzforschung, Vol. 74(4): 420-425, DOI: 10.1515/hf-2019-0057

16. Altgen D., Grigsby W., Altgen M., Rautkari L., Mai C. (2019) Analyzing the UF resin distribution in particleboards by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, Vol 125: 105529, DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2019.105529

17. Willems W., Altgen M. (2019) Hygrothermolytic wood modification. process description and treatment level characterisation. Wood Material Science and Engineering, DOI: 10.1080/17480272.2019.1570970

18. Lillqvist K., Källbom S., Altgen M., Belt T., Rautkari L. (2019) Water vapour sorption properties of thermally modified and pressurised hot-water-extracted wood powder. Holzforschung, Vol. 73(12): 1059-1068, DOI: 10.1515/hf-2018-0301

19. Belt T., Altgen M., Mäkelä M., Hänninen T., Rautkari L. (2019) Cellular level chemical changes in Scots pine heartwood during incipient brown rot decay. Scientific Reports, Vol. 9:5188, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41735-8

20. Källbom S., Altgen M., Militz H., Wålinder Magnus E.P. (2018) Sorption and surface energy properties of thermally modified spruce wood components. Wood and Fiber Science, Vol. 50(3): 346-357, DOI: 10.22382/wfs-2018-033

21. Soetedjo H., Niskanen I., Rautkari L, Altgen M., Hiltunen E., Thungström G., Zakrisson D., Räty J (2018) Determining the degree of heat treatment of wood by light polarization technique. European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, Vol 76(4): 1359-1362, DOI: 10.1007/s00107-018-1311-2

22. Altgen M., Willems W., Hosseinpourpia R., Rautkari L. (2018) Hydroxyl accessibility and dimensional changes of Scots pine sapwood affected by alterations in the cell wall ultrastructure during heat-treatment. Polymer Degradation and Stability, Vol. 152: 244-252, DOI: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2018.05.005

23. Wentzel M, Altgen M., Militz H. (2018) Analyzing reversible changes in hygroscopicity of thermally modified Eucalypt wood from open and closed reactor systems. Wood Science and Technology, Vol. 52(4): 889-907, DOI: 10.1007/s00226-018-1012-3

24. Altgen M., Uimonen T., Rautkari L. (2018): The effect of de- and re-polymerization during heat-treatment on the mechanical behavior of Scots pine sapwood under quasi-static load. Polymer Degradation and Stability, Vol. 147: 197-205, DOI:10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2017.12.007

25. Altgen M., Militz H. (2017): Thermally modified Norway spruce and Scots pine wood as substrate for coating systems. Journal of Coatings Technology and Research, Vol. 14(3):531-541, DOI: 10.1007/s11998-016-9871-8

26. Altgen M., Adamopoulos S., Militz H. (2017): Wood defects during industrial-scale production of thermally-modified Norway spruce and Scots pine. Wood Material Science & Engineering, Vol. 12(1):14-23, DOI: 10.1080/17480272.2014.988750

27. Altgen M., Hofmann T., Militz H. (2016): Wood moisture content during the thermal modification process affects the improvement in hygroscopicity of Scots pine sapwood. Wood Science and Technology, Vol. 50(6):1181-1195, DOI : 10.1007/s00226-016-0845-x

28. Altgen M., Militz H. (2016): Influence of process conditions on hygroscopicity and mechanical properties of European beech thermally modified in a high-pressure reactor system. Holzforschung, Vol. 70(10):971-979, DOI: 10.1515/hf-2015-0235

29. Altgen M., Willems W., Militz H. (2016): Wood degradation affected by process conditions during thermal modification of European beech in a high-pressure reactor system. European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, Vol. 74(5):653-662, DOI: 10.1007/s00107-016-1045-y

30. Altgen M., Militz H. (2016): Photodegradation of thermally-modified Scots pine and Norway spruce investigated on thin micro-veneers. European Journal of Wood and Wood Products, Vol. 74(2):185-190, DOI: 10.1007/s00107-015-0980-3

31. Willems W., Lykidis C., Altgen M., Clauder L. (2015): Quality control methods for thermally modified wood. Holzforschung, Vol. 69(7):875-884, DOI: 10.1515/hf-2014-0185

32.         Willems W., Altgen M., Militz H. (2014) Comparison of EMC and durability of heat-treated wood from high versus low water vapour pressure reactor systems. International Wood Products Journal, Vol. 6(1):21-26, DOI: 10.1179/2042645314Y.0000000083