THERMO-HYDRO-MECHANICAL PROCESSING OF Eucalyptus benthamii (Maiden e Cambage) WOOD The replacement of non-renewable material by wood-based material is crucial for the development of a sustainable society. Thus, the development of thermo-hydro and thermohydro-mechanical processing techniques might be a key factor in such a context. The goal of this study was to evaluate the usefulness and the viability of those processes, aiming to improve the dimensional stability and to find an alternative to the conventional Eucalyptus benthamii wood bonding processes. In order to accomplish that, the effect of heat treatment on the physical (density, dimensional stability, equilibrium moisture content, cell wall physical analysis and wettability), chemical (extractives, lignin and polysaccharides), mechanical (rupture and elasticity modules) and colorimetric (L*, a*, b*, C e h*) properties was evaluated by three different methods: Plato ® , inert atmosphere and Oléothermie. The welding strength was also checked under three different sets of parameters. The strengths of the joints were measured in tension shear and through percentage of wood failure. Moreover, the density profile in welded interfaces was also tested. The Plato ® treatment improved dimensional stability, decreased wettability, rupture and elasticity modules and made the wood darker. The main changes in chemical composition were the decrease of hemicellulose content and an increase of extractives. The inert atmosphere treatment improved dimensional stability, decreased wettability and the rupture module, changed wood color, making it darker and changed its chemical composition as well, decreasing xylose, arabinose and extractives values. The Oléothermie treatment did not affect dimensional stability. However, it decreased the equilibrium moisture content and wettability, made the wood darker and changed its chemical composition, decreasing the xylose value and increasing the lignin and extractives rates. The mean strength obtained in welding was 10,30 MPa with 100% wood failure. The welding interface density was superior than that of the wood, attaining maximal values between 700 and 800 kg/m 3. Given the results, we conclude that the welding process proved feasible for E. benthamii wood joining and that the heat treatment can change its physical, mechanical, chemical and colorimetric properties, depending on the method employed.