Dr. Timothy G. RialsAdjunct Professor
Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164-1806
Director
Tennessee Forest Products Center
The University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996-4570
Phone: (865) 946-1116
Fax: (865) 946-1109
Email: trials@utk.edu
TECHNICAL INTERESTS
- Structure and properties of wood/polymer interfaces
- Raw material assessment and process monitoring using spectroscopy
- Cure analysis of thermosetting polymers
- Wood chemistry
EDUCATION
- Ph.D., Wood Science and Forest Products - 1986, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA
- M.S., Wood Science and Forest Products - 1983, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA
- B.S., Forest Biology - 1980, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- 2001 to Present, Director, Tennessee Forest Products Center, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
- 1996 to 2001, Project Leader, Southern Research Station, Pineville, LA
- 1988 to 1996, Research Physical Scientist, Southern Forest Experiment Station, Pineville, LA
- 1986 to 1988, Assistant Professor of Forestry, Forest Products Laboratory, University of California at Berkeley, Richmond, CA
- 1980 to 1986, Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Forest Products, Polymer Materials and Interfaces Laboratory, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, VA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Labbé, N., T.G. Rials, S.S. Kelley, Z.-M. Cheng, J.-Y. Kim, and Y. Li. 2005. FT-IR imaging and pyrolysis-molecular beam mass spectrometry: New tools to investigate wood tissues. Wood Science and Technology, 39(1):61-77.
- So, C.-L., S.T. Lebow, L.H. Groom, and T.G. Rials. 2004. The application of near infrared spectroscopy to inorganic preservativetreated wood. Wood and Fiber Sci., 36(3):329-336.
- Kelley, S.S., T.G. Rials, L.H. Groom, and C.-L, So. 2004. Use of near infrared spectroscopy to predict the mechanical properties of six softwoods. Holzforschung, 58:252-260.
- Kelley, S.S., T.G. Rials, R. Snell, L. Groom, and A. Sluter. 2004. Use of near infrared spectroscopy to measure the chemical and mechanical properties of solid wood. Wood Science and Technology, 38:257-276.
- Rials, T.G., S.S. Kelley and C.-L. So. 2002. Use of advanced spectroscopic methods to estimate the mechanical properties of medium-density fiberboard. Wood and Fiber Science, 34(3): 398-407.
- Snell, R., L.H. Groom and T.G. Rials. 2001. Characterizing the Surface Roughness of Thermomechanical Pulp Fibers with Atomic Force Microscopy. Holzforschung, 55(5): 511-520.
- Rials, T.G. and M.P. Wolcott. 2001. Interfacial Contributions In Lignocellulosic Fiber Reinforced Polyurethane Composites. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 80(4): 546-555.
- Harper, D., M.P. Wolcott and T.G. Rials. 2001. Evaluation of the Cure Kinetics of the Wood/pMDI Bondline. International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, 21(2): 137-144.
- Rials, T.G. and J. Simonsen. 2000. Monitoring Interphase Development In Wood-Polymer Composites By Inverse Gas Chromatography, Composite Interfaces, 7(2): 81-92.
- Rials, T.G., and M.P. Wolcott. 1998. Morphology and properties of wood fiber-based polyurethane composites. Journal of Materials Science – Letters, 17(4): 317-319.
- Liu, F.-P., T.G. Rials, and J. Simonsen. 1998. Relationship of Wood Surface Energy to Surface Composition. Langmuir, 14(8): 536-541.