The purpose of this review is to put previous research findings on acetylated wood and the fabrication of veneer-based products in a common context. The first research on wood acetylation was already conducted in the 1920s using wood meal, whereas relevant research on veneer acetylation was published nearly two decades later, during the 1940s. In the years that followed, a great deal of research has been done on both solid wood and composite acetylation. Developments in the 1990s and early 2000s resulted in the creation of commercial products. Nowadays, wood is becoming increasingly popular in construction. Therefore, high-performance materials with high dimensional stability and durability are required. Veneers are thereby of particular relevance because of their propensity to absorb chemicals into even tough-to-treat wood species. However, acetylation alters the bonding properties of wood, which is important for the manufacture of engineered veneer products, especially in load-bearing construction. A large amount of research is now being conducted on the acetylation of veneer, and acetylated veneer products are anticipated in the near future. This study covers the fundamentals of bonding but focuses specifically on veneer acetylation and its fabrication to engineered veneer-based products. The influencing factors of acetylation on bonding are also discussed.
Keywords: acetylation; laminated veneer lumber; plywood; rotary cut veneer; wood modification.