1,721,002 research outputs found
Changes in Oriented Strandboard Permeability During Hot-Pressing
No full textConvective heat transfer during hot pressing in wood-based composite panel manufacturing is widely accepted as the most important means of heat transport for resin curing. The rate of convective heat transfer to the panel core is controlled by its permeability. Permeability in the plane of the panel also controls the flow of vapor to the panel edges, thereby influencing the potential for panel "blowing".
This research considers how flake thickness, flake alignment and changing mat density during hot-pressing influences OSB mat permeability, through its thickness and in the plane of the panel. Some previous research exists but it fails to address the affects of horizontal and vertical density gradients as well as flake alignment.
An apparatus was designed to allow cold pressing of aligned flakes to desired densities while enabling permeability measurements through the mat thickness. An additional apparatus was designed to allow the measuring of permeability in the plane of the mat. These designs permitted permeability measurements in mats that had no vertical density gradient, allowing for the direct study of permeability versus density (compaction ratio).
Superficial permeability was determined using Darcy's law and for each sample, multiple readings were made at five different pressure differentials. Permeability through the mat thickness was highly dependent on compaction ratio and to a lesser extent flake thickness. As the compaction ratio is increased, the initial reduction in permeability is severe, once higher compaction ratios are achieved the reduction in permeability is less pronounced. Permeability decreased with decreasing flake thickness. Permeability in the plane of the mat decreases with increasing compaction ratio but in a less severe manner than through the mat thickness. In this case, the permeability-compaction ratio relationship appears linear in nature. Again, permeability decreases with decreasing flake thickness.Master of Scienc
Relationships of growth rate and mechanical properties in sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua
No full textSweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua, is a diffuse-porous hardwood occurring in the southeastern United States. In this observational study, trees from two plantations of sweetgum were evaluated for mechanical properties. The two plantations were similar in age, soil type, competition control, and water availability, but differed in nutrient availability, growing season, and growth rate. Three trees representing different crown classes were removed from both plantations. Each tree was sampled for compression strength parallel to grain along the height of the merchantable stem. Oven-dry specific gravity was then calculated for each sample. The results indicate that young sweetgum trees grow weaker wood than mature trees. It was observed that dominant trees were stronger and denser than other trees. Denser wood was formed in the plantation with the shortest growing season and smallest growth rate. Three of six trees showed significant correlations of strength and stiffness with height in the tree.Master of Scienc
Experimental Evaluation and Simulations of Fiber Orientation in Injection Molding of Polymers Containing Short Glass Fibers
No full textInjection molded short fiber reinforced composites have generated commercial interest in the manufacturing of lightweight parts used in semi-structural applications. Predicting these materials’ fiber orientation with quantitative accuracy is crucial for technological advancement, but the task is difficult because of the effect of inter-particle interactions at high concentrations of fiber found in parts of commercial interest.
A complete sample preparation procedure was developed to obtain optical micrographs with optimal definition of elliptical and non-elliptical footprint borders. Two novel aspects in this procedure were the use of tridimensional markers to identify specific locations for analysis and the use of controlled-etching to produce small shadows where fibers recede into the matrix. These images were used to measure fiber orientation with a customized image analysis tool. This tool contains several modifications that we introduced in the method of ellipses which allow us to determine tridimensional fiber orientation and to obtain measurements in regions with fast changes in orientation. The tool uses the location of the shadow to eliminate the ambiguity problem in orientation and characterizes non-elliptical footprints to obtain the orientation in small sampling areas.
Cavitywise measurements in two thin center-gated disks showed the existence of an asymmetric profile of orientation at the gate and an orientation profile that washed out gradually at the entry region until disappearing at about 32 gap widths. This data was used to assess the prediction of cavitywise orientation using a delay model for fiber orientation with model parameters obtained from rheometrical experiments. Model predictions combining slip correction and experimentally determined orientation at the gate are in agreement with experimental data for the core layers near the end-of-fill region.
Radialwise measurements of orientation at the shell, transition and core layer, and microtextural description of the advancing front are included in this dissertation. The analysis and assessment of the radial evolution of fiber orientation and advancing front based on comparing the experimental data with simulation results are under ongoing investigation.Ph. D
Design and testing of a prototype in-line chip quality monitor
No full textThis project involved the design and testing of a prototype in-line chip quality monitor for gathering process control information for the manufacturers of wood chips.
This monitor specifically addresses three common complaints with current chip sampling procedures. Chip sampling occurs too late in the process. It is inadequate. It is too infrequent to develop management information.
The monitor is composed of a double screen drum separator to divide chips into oversize, accepts, and pins/fines. Counterbalanced tip buckets are used to weigh each size class. Tip bucket cycles are recorded by a computer via magnetic proximity switches attached to each bucket. This information is then used to chart production of chip size classes, updated continuously over the sorting period. This monitor is capable of sorting one ton of chips per hour.
Two trials were conducted to test the monitor. One in a lab environment, and one on site at a chip mill. Both trials compared monitor output with independent samples classified using a Williams classifier. The trials showed that outputs were consistent with Williams output.
This monitor can effectively chart chip distribution information. This process control information provides the manufacturer with immediate knowledge of chipper performance.Master of Scienc
Rheology And Organic Filler Interactions in Phenolic Resin Formulations
No full textPhenol formaldehyde (PF) is the oldest known synthetic polymer. This polymer has seen many applications throughout history, including jewelry, electric wire insulation, and resins used to make adhesives. Today, PF resins are still crucial components used in the wood products industry. These PF resins are formulated into adhesives used to make plywood and various other wood composite products. For example, in the United States, 90 % of the homes are still frame homes that use plywood for construction. The PF adhesives used to make these composites are formulated using agricultural waste products like walnut shells and corn-cob residue. These organic waste products act as fillers that reduce the cost, increase the viscosity, and affect the rheology of the fillers. Wheat flour is added as an extender to reduce cost and affect the tack of the adhesive.
These organic fillers are lignocellulosic materials that are made of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. Not much is known about the interactions of these organic fillers and the polymer resin. Rheological studies in our lab have shown that not all of the additions to the adhesive formulation are inert components in the adhesive. The steady-state flow curve analysis of PF adhesives revealed that there is a liquid structure change that occurs at high shear rate. This structure change is observed as a viscosity increase that occurs after applying a maximum shear rate of 4000 1/s. A rheological analysis was conducted to determine the source of this change, with individual components added to the resin. The PF base resin (with nothing added) has a Newtonian rheological behavior. When wheat flour is added to the resin, the overall viscosity increases, and shear thinning occurs at highe shear rates. There is no final viscosity change observed on with the addition of wheat flour. Adding corn-cob residue to the resin increased viscosity, led to some shear thinning at higher shear rates, and allowed the viscosity changes observed in the fully formulated adhesives. These experiments showed that the liquid structural changes that occur in the adhesives are attributed to the organic fillers.
All organic fillers used in our studies, including corn-cob residue, walnut shell, almond shell, and Alder bark produce different levels of viscosity change in the PF adhesive formulations. These biomass materials have varying amounts of lignocellulosic content, particle size distributions, and particle shape. Among the fillers, corn-cob residue was shown to cause the most viscosity change compared to any of the fillers. Corn-cob residue is unique compared to the others because it has undergone acid digestion to convert its xylans to furfural. During the viscoelastic oscillation studies, the corn-cob residue filled adhesives showed that they developed network structures in response to a high shear rate that were not observed using the other fillers.
With the discovery of these network structures, the next goal of this research was to correlate the effects observed on the rheometer to relevant adhesive application technology like high shear spraying. The corn-cob residue adhesive was sprayed at approximately 70,000 1/s compared to the 4000 1/s of rotational shear on the rheometer. The viscoelastic oscillation studies revealed that there was no network structure formation after high-shear spraying. Further, there was no change observed in the flow curve analysis after spraying the adhesive. This study showed that there are limitations when trying to correlate changes that happen in adhesives during spraying, where extensional forces dominate compared to shear forces. In future research, there is the opportunity to explore the effects of extensional deformation that occurs during the atomization of the adhesive, which will be more reflective of the changes that occur during spraying.Doctor of PhilosophyPhenol-formaldehyde adhesives are crucial products in the home construction industry. These adhesives are used to make plywood that is used to build frame homes, which represent approximately 90 % of the homes in the United States. These phenol-formaldehyde adhesives are made using organic materials repurposed from agricultural waste products like corn cobs, walnut shells, almond shells, and tree bark. These products help to enhance the properties of the adhesive, reduce the cost, and reduce the amount of resin used. The goal of this research is to understand better the interactions between the adhesive and the organic fillers using rheology. Rheology is a field that studies how materials change and flow with applied external forces. This is an important field because it provides information on viscosity and viscoelastic behavior. Our research has shown that in response to high shear rates, the viscosity of these phenol-formaldehyde adhesives increases. Studying these changes can lead to a better understanding of how these materials change during industrial spraying. This understanding could lead to improved building adhesive materials in the home construction industry
Radial growth response of eastern hemlock to infestation of hemlock woolly adelgid
No full textHemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand) is causing defoliation and mortality of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière) in the eastern United States. The objectives of this study were to quantify changes in tree-ring width and wood anatomy for trees that survived adelgid infestation, and to contrast dendroclimatic relationships across a latitudinal gradient. Six sites spanning the current range of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) infestation were selected. At each site, 23 infested eastern hemlocks were cored and two trees were felled at the Virginia site and thin-sectioned using a sliding microtome for analysis of wood anatomy. Tree cores were cross-dated and ring widths were measured. For each site, t-tests were used to determine if there was a difference in radial growth pre- and post-HWA arrival. To compare differences in pre- and post-HWA cell properties, t-tests were used. For dendroclimatic analysis, Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between radial growth and monthly climate variables. Three sites showed significant suppression in radial growth after HWA arrival and latewood produced post- HWA arrival had significantly smaller cells with reduced cell-wall thickness than latewood produced before HWA arrival. This indicates that HWA can reduce a tree's photosynthate production. The relationship between hemlock growth and climate also varied with latitude and site, with trees growing further south or on shallower soils being more sensitive to moisture levels. This sensitivity to drought can also partially explain the variation in hemlock response to adelgid feeding, as trees affected by moisture stress tend to be more sensitive to insect attack.Master of Scienc
Combined Tension and Bending Loading in Bottom Chord Splice Joints of Metal-Plate-Connected Wood Trusses
No full textMetal-plate-connected (MPC) splice joints were tested in combined tension and bending to generate data that were used in the development of a design procedure for determining the steel net-section strength of bottom chord splice joints of MPC wood trusses. Several common wood truss splice joint configurations were tested at varying levels of combined tension and bending loading. The joint configurations were 2x4 lumber with 20-gauge truss plates, 2x6 lumber with 20-gauge truss plates, and 2x6 lumber with 16-gauge truss plates. All the joints tested failed in the steel net-section of the truss plates. The combined loading was achieved by applying an eccentric axial tension load to the ends of each splice joint specimen.
Three structural models were developed to predict the ultimate strength of the steel net-section of the splice joints tested under combined tension and bending loading. The test data were fitted to each model, and the most accurate model was selected. Data from other published tests of splice joints were used to validate the accuracy of the selected model. A design procedure for determining the allowable design strength of the steel net-section of a splice joint subjected to combined tension and bending was developed based on the selected model. The new design procedure was compared with two existing design methods. The proposed design procedure is recommended for checking the safe capacity of the steel net-section of bottom chord splice joints of MPC wood trusses subjected to combined tension and bending.Master of Scienc
Moisture Gradient Measurement During Kiln Drying of Red Oak
No full textThe key to improving drying quality and reducing drying time and energy consumption lies in understanding and controlling moisture movement during drying. As wood dries, strains and stresses develop as a result of restraints imposed by moisture gradients and differential shrinkage in wood. So accurately measuring the moisture gradient in wood during drying will be helpful to improving drying quality.
In this project, moisture gradients in red oak will be measured through four different techniques----bandsaw slicing, Forstner bit layering, flaking and razor blade slicing. The first two techniques are found in the literature. The last two are developed in this study. The results obtained with these four techniques were compared, and it was found that the newly developed techniques could get moisture gradients that were closer to the true value.
The thickness of the slice was assumed to affect measuring the moisture gradient because of the environmental influences. So a thickness series was tested with the two new technique----flaking and razor blade slicing. The results showed that there was no slice or flake thickness effect on the moisture gradients.And an optimum slice and flake thickness was determined for the wood industries and research studies.
Finally, the directional effect on transverse moisture movement during kiln drying was examined through measuring moisture gradients in the tangential and radial directions of wood. The results showed that moisture moved slightly faster in the radial direction than in the tangential direction during kiln drying and the moisture gradients in the tangential direction were slightly steeper than those in the radial direction.Master of Scienc
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