NC State Course Catalog

WPS-Wood and Paper Science

WPS 100	Introduction to Pulping & Papermaking	UNITS: 1 - Offered in Fall Only
Introduction to the paper industry and the Pulp & Paper Science Curriculum. Overview of pulping and papermaking processes including plant tours and laboratory exercises. Two Saturday field trips to paper mills required. Concepts of professional development including resumes, interviewing, and summer job placement procedures.



WPS 104	Introduction to Wood Products	UNITS: 2 - Offered in Fall Only
Introduction to College of Natural Resources and University services, including libraries, computer labs, Leadership Development Series. Awareness of size and diversity of wood industry, career potential. Setting career goals, educational and professional development goals.



WPS 201	Sustainable Materials for Green Housing	UNITS: 2 - Offered in Spring Only, Interdisciplinary Perspectives
The overall goal of the class is to make the students more informed and aware consumers of materials used in housing. The class will connect the economic and energy impacts of producing common materials with the environmental impacts, e.g., carbon, water, and pollutants. The concepts of embodied energy, water use, and land impacts will be used to examine common building materials. The concept of Life Cycle Analysis will be introduced and used to evaluate the use and trade-offs for different building materials. The opportunities and trade-offs for reuse and recycling materials at the 'end of life' will also be explored.



WPS (FOR) 202	Wood Anatomy and Properties	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Fall Only, Natural Sciences
Formation, anatomy and properties of wood. Structural features of softwoods and hardwoods and the relationships among anatomy, physiology, physical and mechanical properties. Variability, naturally occurring defects, and wood deterioration are discussed and related to wood utilization. Techniques on hand lens and microscopic identification of wood.



WPS 203	Wood Physical Properties	UNITS: 4 - Offered in Spring Only
Physical properties of wood, including specific gravity, dimensional behavior, stress and set, psychrometry, thermal, electrical and moisture relations. Lumber drying.



WPS 205	Wood Products Practicum	UNITS: 5 - Offered in Summer
Prerequisite: WPS 202 or 203
Preparation of drawings and bill of materials for a furniture item. Parts are machined, assembled, and finished. Lumber grading, drying, and gluing principles. Four to five days are spent visiting industries to provide an appreciation for products and processes. The student is responsible for room and board; transportation is provided.



WPS 210	Wood Products Internship	UNITS: 1 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Completion of summer practicum
Experience in the forest products or related industries with a departmentally selected employer.



WPS 230	Sustainability, Global Trade and Forest Products	UNITS: 2 - Offered in Spring Only, Interdisciplinary Perspectives
This course is designed to give the participants an exposure to understanding the effects of global trade on sustainability issues. The course will include a focus on global issues leading to a sound environment, in addition to a healthy economic base, stable employment, adequate purchasing power, and maintenance of social and cultural integrity. Various sustainable forest products industries in the US and other countries will be used as example to explain the various concepts throughout this course.



WPS 231	Sustainable Manufacturing	UNITS: 2 - Offered in Spring Only, Interdisciplinary Perspectives
The overall goal of the class is to make the students more informed and aware consumers of various products and how they are produced. The class will connect the economic and energy impacts of various manufacturing sectors with the environmental impacts, e.g., carbon, water, and pollutants. The concept of embodied energy, water use, and land impacts will be used will be used to examine these manufacturing sectors. The concept of Life Cycle Analysis will be introduced and used to evaluate the use and trade-offs for different manufacturing techniques. The opportunities and trade-offs for reuse and recycling materials at the "end of life" will also be explored for the various products and their respective manufacturing industries.



WPS 232	Recycling to Create a Sustainable Environment	UNITS: 2 - Offered in Spring Only, Interdisciplinary Perspectives
The goal of this class is to link the impetus for recycling and recycled materials to the building of a sustainable world. Recycling efficiencies for various materials will be examined as well as recycling practices and attitudes in other parts of the world. This course will explore the technology, economics, markets, trade and social impacts due to the recycling of materials. Case studies will provide an in-depth examination of the problems and potentials for the recycling of selected recycled materials. The use of Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to evaluate recycling alternatives will be introduced. The economic, policy, social and resource availability drivers for recycling will be examined as well as the technological, economic, market and social barriers to recycling.



WPS 240	Wood Products	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Fall Only
Introduction to forest products industries, including the economic importance, current manufacturing technology, raw material requirements and the future of the industries.



WPS 242	Wood Fiber Analysis	UNITS: 2 - Offered in Fall and Spring
The macro and micro structure of wood and the relationships of anatomical structures to the physical properties of wood and paper.



WPS 295	Special Topics in Wood Products	UNITS: 1-3 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Special Topics in Wood Products at the 200 level for offering of courses on an experimental basis.



WPS 301	Introduction to Wood Chemistry	UNITS: 4 - Offered in Spring Only
Prerequisite: CH 101, CH 102, and WPS 202 or 203 or permission
Introduction of polymer science concepts (thermal transitions, molecular weight, viscoelasticity). Detailed instruction on wood chemistry,including wood reactivity, wood decay, the chemical aspects of thermal treatments, the separation of wood into its individual components, the reactivity and modification of the individual components, and the conversion of wood into energy products.



WPS 302	Wood Processing II	UNITS: 4 - Offered in Fall Only
Prerequisite: WPS 202 or 203
Theories and techniques of processing raw wood into useable products. Principles of operation of current industrial wood milling equipment including primary and secondary processing. Machining of reconstituted wood products.



WPS 308	Wood Products Process Facilities Infrastructure	UNITS: 4 - Offered in Fall Only
Wood Products production methods-simulation, optimization, plant layout and material handling. Plant infrastructure-hydraulics, compressed air, electrical, dust extraction.



WPS 344	Introduction to Quality Control in Wood Products	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only
Prerequisite: ST 361
Statistical quality control techniques applicable to the manufacture of wood products. Control chart techniques for monitoring defects, defectives and measurements. Acceptance sampling procedures. Examples from the wood products industries will be used.



WPS 346	Forest Prod Business Mktg	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only
This course will examine the business and marketing approaches in the forest products industry from a theoretical as well as an applied perspective. Students will learn the importance of business processes and how products, price, distribution, and promotion plays a role in the purchase behavior of consumers. Students will analyze situations and cases to solve real and hypothetical business problems in the forest products industry.



WPS 350	Wood Products Literature	UNITS: 2 - Offered in Spring Only
Prerequisite: Completion of WPS 205
Exploration of the wood products literature; use of library services, oral and written reports, with emphasis on independent study.



WPS 441	Wood Mechanics	UNITS: 4 - Offered in Fall Only
Prerequisite: MA 231, PY 212, WPS 203
Introduction to orthotropic elasticity. Shear effect on beam deflections. Wood- based composite beams. Shear and bending stress distribution in composite beams. Elastic stability. Influence of density, moisture content, load direction, temperature and load duration on mechanical properties of wood. Creep and mechanosorptive creep. Grading for structural applications. Allowable stresses . Structural fasteners.



WPS 444	Wood Composites	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Fall Only
Prerequisite: WPS 301 and senior standing in Wood Products
Structure-property relationships of common wood adhesives, bond formation fundamentals,bond performance;manufacture, properties, and processing of wood-based composites such as plywood, particleboard, waferboard, and oriented strandboard, as well as specialty composite products.



WPS 450	Wood Industry Case Studies	UNITS: 2 - Offered in Spring Only
Prerequisite: Senior standing in WP
Presentation of relevant Wood industry problems involving material selection, processing and managerial techniques. Causes of in-use failures of wood products and means of prevention.



WPS 483	Projects in Wood Products	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Fall Only
Prerequisite: Junior standing.
Exploration of the wood products literature; use of library services and on-line databases, oral and written reports, with emphasis on independent study. Individual library or laboratory research projects selected and conducted with the approval and guidance of faculty.



WPS 491	Special Topics in Wood and Paper Science	UNITS: 1-4 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Independent study of management or technology problems selected with faculty approval or the offering of experimental courses.



WPS 504	Physical and Mechanical Properties of wood	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only, Offered Alternate Odd Years
Concepts involving the interaction of wood with moisture and heat and the mechanical behavior of solid wood based materials are discussed. Students develop skills in characterization of psychrometric processes in the wood industry, formulation of solutions to moisture related wood problems, the analysis of thermal processes for wood, solving stress-strain problems in load bearing wood structures, and methods to characterize wood properties. An undergraduate degree in engineering or science is required. For related undergraduate degrees, the student must get approval from the instructor to enroll.



WPS 510	Strategic Business Processes for the Forest Products Industry	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only
Strategic Business Processes is designed to introduce the technically trained student to organizational, management and leadership processes that drive a successful business. The course highlights the differences between principled leadership and "opinion poll" leadership, the need to balance the conflicting wants of major stakeholders in the business, the importance of a unique strategy, the linkage between strategy and day-to-day implementation of the strategy and the ingredients and requirements for a successful career. Real time illustrations are based on the Forest Products industry.



WPS 516	Forest Products Colloids & Surfaces	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only, Offered Alternate Even Years
Surface and interfacial science as related to uses of lignocellulosic materials are covered. Fundamentals of the physical chemistry of surfaces and aqueous suspensions are brought to life with examples from such fields as paper science, biomaterials science, composites, and cellulosic liquid fuels technology. Topics include colloidal stability, flocculation, surface forces, polyelectrolyte behavior, electrokinetics, capillary forces, adhesion, surfactancy, and self-assembly. Water-cellulose interactions, including wettability, swelling, and hydrogen bonding effects will be highlighted.



WPS 522	Chemical Principles for the Papermaking Process Engineer	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Fall Only
Prerequisite: One year of chemistry courses.
Chemical principles for the Papermaking Process Engineer provides a foundation in aqueous chemistry and the applications of polyelectrolytes. The course is intended for professionals employed in the paper manufacturing industry and related industries, such as chemicals suppliers to paper manufacturers. Topics include the papermaking process, acids and bases, polymers, water-resistance, paper strength, colorants, retention and dewatering aids, deposit control, coatings, recycling, and wastewater treatment. Lectures are by CD or DVD. The course-pack, quizzes, and readings are on the web. For off-campus students. Permission of instructor required.



WPS 527	Wet-End and Colloidal Chemistry	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Fall Only
Prerequisite: Graduate standing
The course objective is to prepare students to solve problems related to chemical usage on paper machines. Subjects include paper machine operations, fibers, fillers, chemistry of additives, colloids, control of paper's interactions with liquids, strength, dyes,strategies to optimize retention, dewatering strategies, strategies to achieve more uniform paper, strategies to improve production rates, and wet-end chemical process control.



WPS (CE) 528	Structural Design in Wood	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only
Prerequisite: CE 325
Behavior, strength and design of wood structural members subjected to moment, shear and axial forces. Design of connections and introduction to design of wood structural systems.



WPS (MAE) 534	Mechatronics Design	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Fall and Spring
Prerequisite: Structured Programming Experience, Senior standing or Graduate standing in WPS/MAE
Principles of Mechatronics Design, review of logic gates, microprocessor architecture, sensors and actuators, A/D and D/A conversion techniques, real-time multi-tasking programming concepts, direct digital control implementation. "Hands-on" experience through several laboratory assignments and final team project.



WPS 565	Forest Biomaterials Physics	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only
Physical models of forest biomaterials including (1) viscosity properties of biopolymer solutions and fibrous suspensions, (2) visco-elastic and thermal properties of biopolymers, (3) elastic properties of biomaterials, and (4) fibrous network properties are covered. Focus is on the scientific aspects of these topics with special applications to materials derived from forest resources.



WPS 577	Paper Coating and Printing	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Fall Only
Major printing processes and grades of coated paper are presented. Coating base sheet requirements and design of coating formulation are related to end use requirements. Coating additives and rheology are analyzed in terms of coating process requirements. The effect of application and drying systems on transport phenomena of coating into paper will be analyzed.



WPS 591	Master's Seminar	UNITS: 1
Prerequisite: Senior standing or Graduate standing




WPS 595	Special Topics Wood and Paper Science	UNITS: 1-3 - Offered in Fall and Spring




WPS 601	Seminar	UNITS: 1 - Offered in Fall and Spring
Prerequisite: Graduate standing
Presentation and discussion of progress reports on research, special problems and outstanding publications.



WPS 620	Wood and Paper Science Problems	UNITS: 1-3 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Senior standing or Graduate standing
Assigned or selected problems in the field of wood, paper and pulp science and technology.Credits Arranged



WPS 625	Advanced Wood and Paper Science Problems	UNITS: 1-6 - Offered in Fall and Spring
Prerequisite: Graduate standing
Selected problems in the field of wood and paper science.Credits Arranged



WPS 685	Master's Supervised Teaching	UNITS: 1-3 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Master's student
Teaching experience under the mentorship of faculty who assist the student in planning for the teaching assignment, observe and provide feedback to the student during the teaching assignment, and evaluate the student upon completion of the assignment.



WPS 688	Non-Thesis Masters Continuous Registration - Half Time Registration	UNITS: 1 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Master's student
For students in non-thesis master's programs who have completed all credit hour requirements for their degree but need to maintain half-time continuous registration to complete incomplete grades, projects, final master's exam, etc.



WPS 689	Non-Thesis Master Continuous Registration - Full Time Registration	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Master's student
For students in non-thesis master's programs who have completed all credit hour requirements for their degree but need to maintain full-time continuous registration to complete incomplete grades, projects, final master's exam, etc. Students may register for this course a maximum of one semester.



WPS 690	Master's Examination	UNITS: 1-6 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Master's student
For students in non thesis master's programs who have completed all other requirements of the degree except preparing for and taking the final master's exam.



WPS 691	Methods Of Research In Wood and Paper Science	UNITS: 1
Prerequisite: Advanced Undergraduate standing or Graduate standing
Research procedures, problem outlines, presentation of results; consideration of selected studies by forest research organizations; sample plot techniques.Credits Arranged



WPS 693	Master's Supervised Research	UNITS: 1-9 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Master's student
Instruction in research and research under the mentorship of a member of the Graduate Faculty.



WPS 695	Master Thesis Research	UNITS: 1-9 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Master's student
Thesis research.



WPS 696	Summer Thesis Research	UNITS: 1 - Offered in Summer
Prerequisite: Master's student
For graduate students whose programs of work specify no formal course work during a summer session and who will be devoting full time to thesis research.



WPS 699	Master's Thesis Preparation	UNITS: 1-3 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Master's student
For students who have completed all credit hour requirements and full-time enrollment for the master's degree and are writing and defending their theses.



WPS 702	Wood Anatomy and Chemistry	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Fall Only, Offered Alternate Even Years
A materials-based approach to the fundamental anatomical and chemical characteristics of wood that make it the most important renewable biomaterial composite in the world. Covers anatomical features of wood for different regions, species and parts of the tree. Includes the chemistry of carbohydrates, lignin and extractives in wood. Overviews major chemical processing operations of wood. Provides the required tools to recognize and distinguish wood's micro-structural components and composition to properly identify a wood material for a given application.



WPS 704	Timber Physics	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Fall Only, Offered Alternate Years
Prerequisite: WPS 202
Density, specific gravity and moisture content variation affecting physical properties; physics of drying at high and low temperatures; thermal, sound, light and electrical properties of wood.



WPS 713	Tropical Woods	UNITS: 2 - Offered in Fall Only, Offered Alternate Years
Prerequisite: WPS 202
Structure, identification, properties, characteristics and use of tropical woods, especially those used in plywood and furniture.



WPS 715	Surface and Colloid Chemistry Of Papermaking	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only
Prerequisite: CH 331 or CH 431
The fundamental principles of surface and colloid chemistry important in paper making and their application to optimizing wet-end processes. Electrokinetic basis of flocculation, retention and other wet-end phenomena and the science of wet-end additives.



WPS 721	Chemistry Of Wood Polysaccharides	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only, Offered Alternate Years
Prerequisite: CH 223 and PSE 332 or BCH 451
Fundamental chemistry and physical chemistry of monosaccharides and polysaccharides with emphasis on hemicellulose and cellulose. Topics including construction and configuration, stereochemistry, solution properties, molecular weight determination and reactivity.



WPS 722	Chemistry Of Lignin and Extractives	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only, Offered Alternate Years
The biosynthetic pathways, structure and reactivity of lignin and wood extractives with emphasis on topics important to pulping and conversion to useful by-products.



WPS 723	Forest Biomaterials Chemistry	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only, Offered Alternate Odd Years
Chemical reactivity, structure and functional background of forest-derived polymers relative to paper science and biomaterials/bioenergy are covered. An understanding for the relationships between a material's structure and its properties will be developed with respect to applications. Course includes a basics of polymers, biomacromolecules (carbohydrates and lignin), pulping and bleaching chemistry, new technologies and environmental issues.



WPS 725	Pollution Abatement In Forest Products Industries	UNITS: 3
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or Advanced Undergraduate standing in science or engineering curricula
Pollution sources, in-plant control and treatment of water and air pollution in forest products with concentration on the pulp and paper industry.



WPS 733	Advanced Wood Anatomy	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only, Offered Alternate Years
Prerequisite: WPS 202
Fundamental wood anatomy and cell wall ultrastructure. Laboratory techniques for light and electron microscopic studies of wood.



WPS 740	Wood Composites	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only, Offered Alternate Years
Prerequisite: WPS 441, Graduate standing or Advanced Undergraduate standing
Course designed to acquaint advanced undergraduate and graduate students with rapidly expanding field of wood composites. Presentation of production processes for particle board, plywood, hardboard, fiberboard, and other wood composites. Developmentof elastic theory for the stiffness, strength and buckling resistance of composites. Test procedures for determining mechanical properties and design procedures for glued laminated members, panel products, and built-up members, including I- and box-beams, stressed-skin panels and sandwich panels, outlined.



WPS 746	Forest Products Manufacturing and Business Processes	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only, Offered Alternate Odd Years
A holistic view of the production process for successful wood products manufacturing and the business fundamentals required for a successful product. The value chain of wood products-from log to product disposal after its use is described. Generic and specific manufacturing and business concepts and tools are discussed.



WPS 750	Wastewater Treatment In the Paper Industry	UNITS: 3
Prerequisite: WPS 725
Laboratory practice in pollutant characterization and wastewater treatment processes for the paper industry.



WPS 760	Engineering Unit Operations for Biomass Conversion	UNITS: 3 - Offered in Spring Only
Prerequisite: WPS 215, 216
Engineering fundamentals and process technology for the production of biomaterials including paper and bioenergy are covered. These will include heat transfer, chemical kinetics, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics. Applications include a) process technology for the production of paper b) heat and material balances in a pulping and papermaking c) process technologies for the production of bioenergy d) design of bioreactors e) recovery and purification of products f) gasification and pyrolysis reactions and g) catalytic conversion of syngas.



WPS 791	Doctoral Seminar	UNITS: 1




WPS 795	Advanced Special Topics	UNITS: 1-3




WPS 801	Seminar	UNITS: 1 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer




WPS 820	Special Problems	UNITS: 1-3 - Offered in Fall and Spring
Prerequisite: Senior standing or Graduate standing
Assigned or selected problems in the field of wood, paper and pulp science and technology.



WPS 825	Advanced Wood and Paper Science Problems	UNITS: 1-9
Prerequisite: Graduate standing
Selected problems in the field of wood and paper science.



WPS 885	Doctoral Supervised Teaching	UNITS: 1-3 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Doctoral student
Teaching experience under the mentorship of faculty who assist the student in planning for the teaching assignment, observe and provide feedback to the student during the teaching assignment and evaluate the student upon completion of the assignment.



WPS 890	Doctoral Preliminary Examination	UNITS: 1-9 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Doctoral student
For students who are preparing for and taking written and/or oral preliminary exams.



WPS 891	Methods Of Research In Wood and Paper Science	UNITS: 1-3
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or Advanced Undergraduate standing
Research procedures, problem outlines, presentation of results; consideration of selected studies by forest research organizations; sample plot techniques.Credits Arranged



WPS 893	Doctoral Supervised Research	UNITS: 1-9 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Doctoral student
Instruction in research and research under the mentorship of a member of the Graduate Faculty.



WPS 895	Doctoral Dissertation Research	UNITS: 1-9 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Doctoral student
Dissertation research.



WPS 896	Summer Dissertation Research	UNITS: 1 - Offered in Summer
Prerequisite: Doctoral student
For graduate students whose programs of work specify no formal course work during a summer session and who will be devoting full time to thesis research.



WPS 899	Doctoral Dissertation Preparation	UNITS: 1-3 - Offered in Fall Spring Summer
Prerequisite: Doctoral student
For students who have completed all credit hour, full-time enrollment, preliminary examination, and residency requirements for the doctoral degree, and are writing and defending their dissertations.