Research Articles

Biocomposites were prepared with rice husk flour (RHF) (raw and alkali-treated) in a recycled polymer blend (RPB) using a co-rotating twin screw extruder. Modifications to the composite were carried out through fibre surface treatment with 4 wt.% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and 3 wt.% maleic anhydride polyethylene (MAPE) coupling agent. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses of raw and NaOH-treated RHF were performed. The effects of the interfacial modification (MAPE or/and NaOH) and filler loading (50 to 80 wt.%) on the mechanical, physical, and morphological properties were investigated. Improvements in the tensile strength and Young’s modulus as well as reduction in water absorption and water loss were observed for raw RHF composites incorporated with MAPE. Alkalisation of fibres resulted only in an enhancement in elongation and impact strength. The composite with 70 wt.% RHF modified with only MAPE exhibited the highest tensile strength and modulus, 22.2 and 711.6 MPa, respectively. The general trend of the composite results exhibited some decrease in water absorption and water loss from untreated RHF composites with only MAPE modification as compared to the NaOH-treated composite, although a rougher surface for the treated fibres was revealed in SEM images.

The elastic properties of oak wood (solid wood, scarf-jointed beams, and finger-jointed beams) and two different, independently applied adhesives (polyvinyl acetate and isocyanate) were investigated. Using a longitudinal vibration technique and comparing the elastic modulus of the solid wood and jointed beams, it was revealed that longer fingers (10 mm) in the finger joints and larger angle joints (70° and 75°) in the scarf-jointed beams enhanced the elastic properties of the beams. Based on these findings, it was concluded that these configurations result in elastic properties that are most similar to those of solid wood. The application of polyvinyl acetate rather than isocyanate significantly (P < 0.05) improved the elastic properties of the joints (both scarf- and finger-jointed beams).

The economic exploitation of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) usage is primarily directed toward latex extraction. After the productive life of the rubber tree forest, the managed area is harvested for planting reformulation. The harvested wood is most often used for energy generation purposes. The aim of this work was to study the feasibility of using rubberwood waste and castor oil-based polyurethane resin in the production of particleboards. Homogeneous and heterogeneous panels were made with nominal dimensions of 500 x 500 mm and thicknesses of 10 mm using particles from GT1 and RRIM600 clones of the rubber tree and 12% castor oil-based polyurethane adhesive. The panels were pressed at 140 °C for 12 min with 40 kgf/cm2 specific pressure. Density, moisture content, thickness swelling, water absorption for 2 and 24 h, static bending, and internal bonding determinations were performed according to the Brazilian Standard (NBR) 14810-3 (2006) for the physical-mechanical panel characterization. The results show that using Hevea brasiliensis in particleboard production is viable. However, multilayer boards exhibited better results.

The leakproof sealing of paperboard trays depends on factors such as the quality of the sealed tray and the parameters of the sealing process. Leakproof sealing is critical when food products are packed, as poor sealing can result in leakage and cause a reduction in the microbiological quality and sensory shelf life of packed food products. In this paper, factors affecting the leakproof sealing of paperboard trays, such as sealing pressure and the geometry of creases in the trays, were investigated. Trays were sealed with varied sealing pressure and temperature, and the sealed trays were inspected using a coloring solution test, oxygen content measurements, and microscopic analysis. The results show that the sealing pressure is a critical parameter in the sealing process. The minimum sealing pressure that resulted in leakproof within the materials investigated was 1.8 N/mm2. The depth of crease that can be sealed in a leakproof manner was found to be up to 150 µm.

Intumescent, flame-retarding wood-flour/polypropylene composites (WPCs) having different ammonium polyphosphate/pentaerythritol (APP/PER) ratios (4/1, 3/1, and 2/1) were prepared in this study. The thermal degradation behavior, flame retardancy, and mechanical properties of the composites were tested. Moreover, the residues of the WPCs were observed by scanning electron microscopy, and the flame retardancy mechanism was investigated. The results showed that WPC/APP/PER exhibited higher thermal stability in the high temperature region and left much more char residue than WPC/APP, according to thermogravimetric analysis. Limiting oxygen index and cone calorimetry tests showed that the addition of PER improved the flame retardancy of the WPCs, especially when APP/PER ratio was 3/1. However, because of the poor compatibility with the composite matrix and uneven dispersion in the WPCs, the incorporation of PER decreased the mechanical performance of WPCs obviously.

A previous study reported that a novel Aspergillus oryzae strain (CGMCC5992) can synthesize lignin hydrolytic enzymes for lignin degradation from straw. The present work involves the different gene expression of A. oryzae 5992 grown in media using lignin and glucose as carbon sources by suppression subtractive hybridization. Surprisingly, peroxidase was found in up-regulation genes, which is the key enzyme for degrading lignin. This shows that A. oryzae 5992 can secrete peroxidase in the presence of lignin. The functions of up-regulation genes also included gluconeogenesis, repairs, as well as signal and transporter proteins in the cell membrane. In addition, the down-regulation of genes was closely related to the aerobic metabolism of glucose, the fatty acid synthesis of the cell membrane, and the synthesis and utilization of ATP. Therefore, A. oryzae could regulate metabolism using lignin as carbon source, including lignin degradation promotion, glucose metabolism inhibition, and glucose regeneration.

Thermally-modified wood (TMW) has enhanced properties and its production does not involve the use of chemicals. However, the adoption of TMW in the marketplace has been limited in the U.S. for reasons that have not yet been clearly established. In this study, the marketing practices of U.S. producers and distributors of TMW were investigated, by conducting semi-structured interviews. Topics included major products and species, markets, distribution channels, promotional strategies, perceived barriers to adoption, and the outlook for TMW markets. Results show that TMW producers in general export a significant percent of their production; that TMW is considered a high-end product; and that customers are not as sensitive to prices as in other mainstream markets. Common products sold include siding, decking, flooring, millwork, and components for musical instruments. Respondents believe that the low awareness of TMW among the American public is a major barrier to wider adoption of TMW. However, companies envision a bright future for TMW as sales and inquiries have increased at a fast rate during the last few years.

The surface roughness of Chinese fir and Eucalyptus wood samples were measured using the stylus profile method in order to investigate the correlation between near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and surface roughness. The results showed that the NIR spectra absorption showed differences among samples from different surface roughnesses, and the absorption decreased with the increase of the surface roughness. A strong relationship was found between the surface roughness parameters, i.e., the arithmetical mean deviation of the profile (Ra), the ten-point height of irregularities (Rz), and the maximum height of profile (Ry). Based on the NIR spectra of the Chinese fir wood samples and the mixed wood samples of the two wood species, and the correlation coefficients of these two types of wood samples in a calibration set were 0.77 to 0.83 and 0.67 to 0.74, respectively. A relatively poor correlation was found in the model based on the Eucalyptus samples; however, it was still significant. These results suggested that there was relative information about the surface roughness from the NIR spectra, which further illustrated that the surface roughness may influence the effect of models for wood properties built by NIR data.

The objective was to evaluate the effect of temperature and clamping method during heat treatment on the properties of high density Okan wood. Heat treatment of sapwood and heartwood was conducted using an electric oven with a programmable controller at 160 °C, 180 °C, 200 °C, and 220 °C for 2 h. Physical and mechanical properties were compared before and after the heat treatment process. The color change (DE*), weight loss, and volume shrinkage increased with increasing temperature, whereas the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) and water absorption (WA) decreased in both types of wood. The wood density was not affected by temperature, and the magnitude of DE* in sapwood was the highest, while the magnitude of weight loss, volume shrinkage, EMC, and WA in heartwood was higher than in sapwood. The clamping method affected DE* in heartwood only, while the weight loss, volume shrinkage, EMC, and WA was affect in both types of wood. A significant reduction in the mechanical properties occurred after heat treatment at 200 °C and 220 °C. The reduction of MOR, MOE, and shear strength in heartwood was greater than in sapwood, while the compressive strength reduction in sapwood was the highest.

The performance of coir fiber in the production of linerboard made from soda-anthraquinone (soda-AQ) pulp was evaluated. Based on chemical analysis, the composition of coir fiber is suitable for the pulping process. Out of nine pulping conditions characterized, a pulping condition of 18% active alkali for 90 min cooking time was chosen. These conditions provided the highest screened yield (48.99%), a low rejection yield (0.27%), high viscosity (11.73 cP), and a kappa number (41) that is acceptable for unbleached linerboard production. Beating strengthened the coir pulp. Analyzing the beating revealed that coir pulp was optimized at 1000 to 2000 revolutions, based on a graph of freeness vs. burst index. For all beating conditions (1000 to 8000 revolutions), FESEM micrographs showed the presence of internal and external fibrillation of the fiber, which gradually increased fiber conformability and improved the inter-fiber bonding within the paper formation. Based on its burst strength of 4.57 kPa.m2/g and ring crush test of 1.76 Nm2/g, which complies with the minimum requirement of the industry standard, coir fiber can be considered an alternative fiber source for linerboard production.