Wood and Fiber Science (E-Journal)
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Phytic acid for dual wood protection against fungi and fire
No full textPhytic acid (PA) is a natural compound derived from plant seeds and cereals with excellent antifungal properties and fire resistance. However, the potential of PA for dual wood protection is yet to be reported. This study investigated the antifungal properties and fire performance of PA for wood protection. The antifungal properties of PA against common wood-decaying fungi, including two white-rot fungi, Trametes versicolor (T.v.) and Irpex lacteus (I.l.), and two brown-rot fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum (G.t.) and Rhodonia placenta (R.p.), were studied for both in vitro and in vivo tests. The thermal stability (pine and polar) and fire resistance (pine) of wood samples treated with different concentrations of PA by vacuum impregnation were also evaluated. For the in vitro test, PA almost fully inhibited the growth of three of the four fungi tested at a PA concentration of 0.25 wt% except for fungus R.p., which was less sensitive to PA and could still grow at 4 wt% PA. The in vivo durability test results showed that PA significantly improved the fungal resistance of both pine and poplar wood blocks for the brown-rot and white-rot fungi, respectively, as shown by lower mass losses of 5-25% compared with the control group’s 25-45%. The results from thermogravimetric analysis under both air and nitrogen indicated that PA increased the thermal stability of both pine and poplar samples, which was further confirmed by the results from the mass loss calorimeter. The peak heat release rate and the total heat release rate of 10 wt% PA-treated samples were decreased by 39% and 48%, respectively, at 148 kW/m2 and 34.6 MJ/m2 compared with the control, whereas the residual mass increased by 137% at 48.4%. Overall, this research demonstrates the potential of using PA to improve both fungal resistance and fire performance of wood products
Engineered Flooring from Low-Density Plantation Hardwood: Evaluation of Long-Term In-Service Trials
Full text linkThe use of short-rotation hardwood plantation species has been perceived to be unsuitable for flooring until recently, due to the lower densities. This study assesses the performance of a low-density plantation hardwood species, Eucalyptus nitens in engineered flooring applications. The selection of a suitable timber species for flooring has conventionally been based on its market acceptance or value and on its hardness to ensure minimal indentations or damages. While both of these reasons have determined flooring species selection, this is becoming more difficult as popular species are less available due to increasing flooring demand and the diminishing supply of native timbers due to government regulations on harvesting and conservation. Typically, the species hardness is determined by static tests in the laboratory. Although these tests can compare species hardness, they might not reliably indicate an end product’s performance, especially with engineered flooring. Despite the global interest on timber flooring manufacturing, investigations on the assessment of alternative testing methods to static hardness, methods to replicate in-service behaviour, timber flooring quality determination and characterisation of timber properties for flooring applications are still scarce. In this study, in-service trials were conducted on solid E. nitens boards and engineered flooring prototypes with E. nitens top layers to better understand the products’ behaviour when exposed to moderate traffic with distinct temperature and relative humidity variations. Dynamic impact hardness tests using the falling ball indentation method adapted from ASTM D 2394 were conducted to assess the surface hardness of the tested prototypes. The results showed E. nitens engineered prototypes’ performance to be comparable with the existing market products used as controls. This demonstrates the potential to use plantation grown E. nitens in engineered flooring applications in domestic dwellings
Treatments to Improve the Dimensional Stability of Refractory Woods
No full textChanges in wood moisture content below the fiber saturation point result in dimensional changes. This creates stresses in the wood which may manifest as checks and cracks. These impact the appearance of wood products and limit the use of wood in some applications. Many chemical treatments to improve wood stability have been developed, though they are generally only applied to wood species with high permeability. The present work investigates several commercial-scale and lab-scale modification treatments for their ability to stabilize white spruce, a refractory softwood. Modified white spruce was evaluated for weight percent gain after treatment, dimensional stability in humidity and immersion, total color change after accelerated UV exposure, and coating adhesion before and after UV exposure. All treatments improved stability with anti-swelling efficiency between 11 and 59%. However, these treatments were also associated with increased color change after accelerated UV exposure and poorer adhesion of a water-based stain. The improvements in dimensional stability were generally lower than those reported for permeable species, and it’s unclear if they would meet end-user expectations. Additional research is needed to further enhance performance and to overcome the resulting photostability and coating adhesion challenges
DEFLECTION PERFORMANCE OF MEDIUM DENSITY FIBERBOARD AND PARTICLEBOARD SHELVES JOINED ABS, PLA, AND WOOD-PLA FILAMENT PINS
Full text linkThis study determined the deflection performance of wooden shelves force by using different material types. In addition, the pins used as fasteners of the shelves are made of ABS, PLA and WOOD-PLA filament material. The independent variables consisted of material type, pins fila-ment material, and filament fill, and the dependent variable was determined as deflection value. Medium density fiberboard (MDF) and particleboard (PB), both melamine faced, were used as two different material types. The study was based on the BS EN 16122 (2012) standard. However, the TS EN 9215 (2005) standard was followed to reveal the deformations that occur in the shelves after increasing loads. The factors affecting deflection value and the interaction between them were investigated by multivariate analysis of variance. The results showed that the material type, filament fill and filament material type were significant. The adequacy of models was evaluated by the R-square (R²) and Adjusted R-square (Adj-R2) values. The results for these val-ues were 96.1 % and 94.2 %, respectively
Sustainability Reporting and Performance: A Comparative Study of Leading Paper and Paper-based Packaging Companies
Full text linkThis research presents a comparative analysis of sustainability performance of four prominent companies within the paper and paper-based packaging industry. Utilizing established sustainability indicators encompassing environmental, social, and economic dimensions, the study evaluated company performance based on publicly available data from their sustainability reports and disclosures. The findings revealed a diverse landscape of sustainability commitments and achievements, highlighting both shared industry-wide trends and company-specific approaches to sustainability management. All four companies demonstrated a strong commitment to waste management and circular economy principles, while also exhibiting varying degrees of progress in areas such as renewable energy adoption, carbon emissions reductions, employee well-being, and social responsibility initiatives. The analysis further identified opportunities for improvement and highlighted the need for greater transparency, data disclosure, and industry collaboration to enhance overall sustainability performance and contribute to a more sustainable future for the paper and paper-based packaging sector. By examining the similarities and differences in the sustainability journeys of these four companies, this study provides valuable insights for industry stakeholders, policymakers, and researchers interested in promoting sustainable development within the paper and packaging industry and beyond
Equational expression of nonlinear load–deformation relationship of dowelled joint with slotted-in steel plate at various lateral loading angles against the grain direction
Full text linkWhen rotational moment is applied to a dowelled joint with a slotted-in steel plate connecting the beam and the column, the lateral loads at the individual dowels are applied at various angles against the grain direction. To design the joint or analyze its rotational performance, properties at various angles are required. The main objective of this study was to create a simulation method for nonlinear load–displacement relationships at various angles of the loading direction against the grain direction. In this study, lateral loading tests of dowelled joints with slotted-in steel plates at angles of 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90° were conducted. The load–displacement relationship was measured, and the initial stiffness, proportional limit load, and yield load were obtained. When adopting Hankinson’s formula for the three characteristics, the values of n were 1.951, 2.052, and 1.912, respectively. The combined use of two empirical formulas (Hankinson’s formula and Foschi’s formula) was attempted, and the simulation results agreed well with the experimental results, which verified the usefulness of the simulation method proposed in this study
WOOD MOISTURE CONTENT DETERMINATION BY HANDHELD NEAR-INFRARED REFLECTANCE SPECTROMETER
No full textRapid, accurate determination of wood moisture content is of paramount importance for the wood industry, infrastructure maintenance, studies of plant physiology, and forest management. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is a widely used non-destructive technique for analyzing properties of materials, including moisture content. Small, portable, handheld NIR spectrometers represent an emerging technology with strong potential for rapidly, affordably estimating materials properties. Here, we used a SCiOTM miniature handheld NIR spectrometer and a partial least squares (PLS) regression model to predict wood moisture content. The model was developed using spectra (740-1070 nm) collected from increment borer wood samples from 41 representative softwood and hardwood trees, calibrated against gravimetric wood moisture content determined by oven-drying. The calibration and prediction datasets contained 2/3rd and 1/3rd of all data, respectively. We explored effects of different spectral preprocessing algorithms (i.e., first and second-order derivatives and standard normal variate transformations) on model performance. First-order derivative spectra with five latent variables yielded the most robust model (R2: 0.72, RMSEP: 0.32, ratio of performance to deviation: 2.2). Broadly, we demonstrated that relatively low-cost miniature handheld NIR spectrometers such as the SCiOTM can rapidly estimate percent moisture content in wood of various species
DISTINGUISHING NATIVE AND PLANTATION-GROWN MAHOGANY (SWIETENIA MACROPHYLLA) TIMBER USING CHROMATOGRAPHY AND HIGH-RESOLUTION QUADRUPOLE TIME-OF-FLIGHT MASS SPECTROMETRY
Full text linkPlantation-grown mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) from Fiji has been preferred as a sus- tainable wood source for the craftingof electric guitars because its trade is not restricted by Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna andFlora (CITES), unlike S. macrophylla sourced from native forests. Ability to differentiate between the two wood types would deter sale of illegally harvested native-grown S. macrophylla to luthiers and other artisans. The chemical composition of wood is influenced bycambial age and geographical factors, and there are chemical differences between S. macrophylla grown in different regions. Thisstudy tested the ability of high-resolution mass spectrometry to chemotypically dif- ferentiate plantation-grown Fijian S. macrophylla from the same wood species obtained from native forests. Multiple heartwood specimens of both wood types were extracted and chromatographically profiled using gas and liquid chromatography tandem high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight massspectrometry (GC/QToF, LC/QToF). Visual comparison of mass spectral ions, together with modern analytical data-mining techniques,were employed to screen the results. Principal component analysis scatter plots with 95% confidence ellipses showed unambiguousseparation of the two wood types by GC/LC/QToF. We conclude that screening of heartwood extractives using high-resolution massspectrometry offers an effective way of identifying and sepa- rating plantation-grown Fijian S. macrophylla from wood grown in native forests
IDENTIFICATION AND RECOGNIZATION OF BAMBOO BASED ON CROSS-SECTIONAL IMAGES USING COMPUTER VISION
Full text linkIdentification of bamboo is of great importance to its conservation and uses. However, identify bamboo manually is complicated, expensive, and time-consuming. Here, we analyze the most evident and characteristic anatomical elements of cross section images, that’s a particularly vital breakthrough point. Meanwhile, we present a novel approach with respect to the automatic identification of bamboo on the basis of the cross-sectional images through computer vision.Two diverse transfer learning strategies were applied for the learning process, namely fine-tuning with fully connected layers and all layers, the results indicated that fine-tuning with all layers being trained with the dataset consisting of cross-sectional images of bamboo is an effective tool to identify and recognize intergenericbamboo, 100% accuracy on the training dataset was achieved while 98.7% accuracy was output on the testing dataset, suggesting the proposed method is quite effective and feasible, it’s beneficial to identify bamboo and protect bamboo in coutilization. More collection of bamboo species in the dataset in the near futuremight make EfficientNet more promising for identifying bamboo.