Research Articles

This work reports on the preparation of pinewood residues/recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites to evaluate their performance under flexion, extraction of nails and screws, and moisture absorption (MA) to assess their potential to replace medium-density fiberboards (MDFs). The effect of filler particle size (PS) was evaluated, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was conducted to elucidate the state of the interphase. The effect of UV-light accelerated weathering (AW) on samples with and without a UV stabilizer (UVS) was assessed. A dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was also conducted. The composites had better flexural performance, MA, and screw extraction resistance than the MDFs. However, AW affected the composites, mostly affecting those without UVS. Scanning electron microscopy showed the appearance of cracks on the surfaces with less UVS. The DMA results suggested that the composites with the largest PS showed a better resistance to creep.

Mechanical properties of wood dowel welding were studied using untreated and copper chloride (CuCl2)-treated wood dowels. The effect of the welding time (3 s, 5 s, and 7 s) was also studied. The treated wood dowels with a welding time of 3 s had the best pullout resistance. Fibers covered with black molten material generated by the high friction temperature were found at the welding interfaces. For the untreated groups, the degree of crystallinity of the welding interfaces was higher than that of the wood dowel. For the treated groups, the degrees of crystallinity for the welding times of 5 s and 7 s were lower than that of the wood dowel. By extending the welding time, the degree of crystallinity decreased. A thermogravimetric (TG) analysis was used to detect changes in the wood components. The hydrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose occurred during immersion. The analyses illustrated that pyrogenic decomposition of the wood components occurred during the wood dowel welding process. For the treated groups, the degree of pyrolysis was higher than that of the untreated groups for the same welding time. An increased welding time also promoted pyrolysis during the welding process.

To meet the current demand in China for Eucalyptus globulus and Acacia mangium mixed pulping, a study was conducted to collect the near infrared (NIR) spectra of 150 mixed samples of E. globulus and A. mangium in which the content of E. globulus was manually controlled. After the original spectra were pretreated by first derivative and standard normal variate (SNV), the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm and cross-validation were used to calculate the optimal adjustment parameters of 14.30, 19.16, 12.10, and 9.74, respectively. The optimal calibration models for the content of E. globulus, holocellulose, pentosan, and acid insoluble lignin were generated. An independent verification of the calibration models showed that the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) for these models was 1.59%, 0.54%, 0.66%, and 0.40%, respectively. The absolute deviation (AD) was -2.58% to 2.73%, -0.91% to 0.84%, -1.19% to 1.06%, and -0.61% to 0.64%, respectively. The prediction performance of the four models was sufficient for real-time analysis in the pulping production line. The LASSO algorithm was judged to be efficient for the prediction and analysis of mixed raw materials in pulping industry.

The impact of the full-cell impregnation of pine wood was investigated with respect to changes in electrical resistance and the accuracy of moisture content measurement. This study compared the resistance of impregnated and untreated pine timber harvested from the northern part of Poland (Pomeranian region). The wood was impregnated by the vacuum-pressure method. The preservative (TANALITH E 3475) and coloring (TANATONE 3950) agents were based on copper salts. The results showed a dependence of wood resistance as a function of the moisture content. Impregnated and not treated wood samples were used. This result reflects the greater conductivity of the impregnate solution (based on copper salt) than the water. This phenomenon became more distinctive as moisture content value was above the Fiber Saturation Point (FSP).

Paper is produced mainly from wood fibrous pulps, which has been increasingly replaced by pulps from fast growing plants due to limited wood resources. In this work, properties of cellulosic pulps produced by the sulfate method from four fast growing grasses, poplar cultivar ‘Hybrid 275’, and European larch, as well as pine and birch wood chips, were compared. In addition, the cellulosic pulp yield, dimensions of fibers contained in the pulps and mechanical and optical characteristics of paper sheets produced from the pulps were compared. The pulp yield of the poplar cultivar ‘Hybrid 275’ (51.6%) was almost 5% higher than birch pulp (47.0%). Moreover, all of the investigated tensile properties of paper made from ‘Hybrid 275’ pulp were higher than for paper produced from birch pulp. Fast growing grasses, despite lower pulp yield (34.0 to 47.1%), showed comparable tensile properties to birch. Therefore, these pulps are promising raw materials for papermaking.

By using renewable inexpensive plant-derived materials such as lignin and furfuryl alcohol, a new bio-based, easily-prepared, and industrially suitable thermosetting grinding wheel named lignin-furanic grinding wheel (LFG) was prepared and characterized. Cross-linking between lignin and furfuryl alcohol under acidic conditions was established by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). In addition, as the results of thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) suggested, the lignin-furanic resin exhibited high resistance to heat, and the glass transition temperature (Tg) as high as 170 °C. The new lignin-based grinding wheel presented no pores or cracks in the surface and it had a high hardness and compression resistance compared to the commercial phenolic grinding wheel (PG). Moreover, it exhibited high abrasiveness, and the cutting time for a metal tube was shorter than that of PG.

This work focuses on optimization of the laminated lap-joint lengthening technology that is used to produce large-size bamboo bundle laminated veneer lumber (BLVL). A three-factor Box-Behnken design was developed in which lap-joint length (x1), board density (x2), and thickness of lap veneer (x3) were the three factors. Multi-objective optimization of response surface model was used to obtain 17 optimum Pareto solutions by a genetic algorithms method. The mechanical properties of BLVL predicted using the model had a strong correlation with the experimental values (R2 = 0.925 for the elastic modulus (MOE), R2 = 0.972 for the modulus of rupture (MOR), R2 = 0.973 for the shearing strength (SS)). The interaction of the x1 and x3 factors had a significant effect on MOE. The MOR and shearing SS were significantly influenced by the interaction of x2 and x3 factors. The optimum conditions for maximizing the mechanical properties of BLVL lap-joint lengthening process were established at x1 = 16.10 mm, x2 = 1.01 g/cm3, and x3 = 7.00 mm. A large-size of BLVL with a length of 14.1 m was produced with the above conditions. Strong mechanical properties and dimensional stability were observed.

The objective of this work was to simulate the stresses produced during the drying of Eucalyptus nitens wood due to variations in the moisture content. The methodology involved experimental determination and simulation of drying stresses caused by the development of internal moisture content gradients. Modeling of the moisture transport was based on the concept of an effective diffusion coefficient. The mathematical model for stress-strain, and for moisture diffusion into the wood, was constituted by a system of second-order nonlinear partial differential equations with variable coefficients, which were numerically integrated by the control volume based on the finite element method (CVFEM). For validation purposes, tests were realized for evaluating deformations, stress drying, and moisture gradients that were produced during the drying of Eucalyptus nitens. The results showed satisfactory agreement between the experimental and simulated values, indicating an effective simulation.

To ascertain the applicability of the isoamyl nitrite-assisted sulfanilic acid sulfonation method, a series of carbon precursors (sucrose-derived disordered mesoporous carbon, ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-3, glucose-based hydrothermal carbon, and activated carbon) were utilized in attempts to synthesize carbon-based solid acids. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, elemental analysis (EA), and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH3-TPD) were applied to characterize the catalysts. The carbon-based solid acids were applied in the dehydration of xylose and corn stover to evaluate their catalytic performance. Sucrose-derived disordered mesoporous carbon (C-CCA) and ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-3 were successfully sulfonated by isoamyl nitrite-assisted sulfonation, while glucose-based hydrothermal carbon (HGC) and activated carbon (AC) were unsuccessful. Compared with ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-3 solid acid (S-CMK-3), sucrose-derived disordered mesoporous carbon solid acid (ISC-CCA) showed better performance for the production of furfural. The reusability of ISC-CCA for furfural production from xylose during 5 runs was favorable. Using pure water and ISC-CCA as a solvent and catalyst, from corn stover, achieved a furfural yield of 43.1% at 190 °C in 4 h.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass is the key step for controlling the cost of bioethanol production. However, the non-productive adsorption of cellulase onto lignin in biomass severely hampers the enzyme activity and hydrolysis efficiency. Thus, understanding the adsorption mechanism of cellulase onto lignin is critical for the development of enzyme mixtures and enzymatic hydrolysis. In this investigation, cellulase, β-glucosidase (BG), and xylanase adsorption onto lignin from eucalyptus and bamboo, extracted by alkali and hydrotropic techniques, were compared. The physico-chemical properties of the four types of isolated lignin were detected. Langmuir isotherms were used to interpret the cellulase adsorption kinetics of the lignin. The hydrophobicity was found to be the major factor that affected the cellulase adsorption affinity of lignin. The surface charge was important for the adsorption of BG and xylanase onto the lignin. A comparison was made between hydrotropic and alkali lignin, and the hydrotropic lignin from eucalyptus had the highest cellulase adsorption capacity and lowest BG and xylanase adsorption capacities.