Research Articles

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Wang, Q., Zhao, H., Zhao, H., Zeng, Y., Hu, J., and Shen, F. (2026). "Bio-inspired scaly Cu/Ag coating on regenerated cellulose fiber via self-assembly for facile motion sensing," BioResources 21(2), 4607–4619.Wang, C., Huang, H., Xu, S., and Yu, J. (2026). "Design and fused deposition modeling of furniture risers using polyamide filament," BioResources 21(2), 4599–4606.

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Researchpp 3753-3762Zhang, H., Lei, M., Zhang, W., Li, Q., Zhang, F., Li, X., and Luo, C. (2018). "Further understanding the combined bleaching process of peroxide and optical brightening agent in a spruce thermomechanical pulp," BioRes. 13(2), 3753-3762.Abstract Article PDF
Optical brightening agent (OBA) has been successfully applied to a high-yield pulp (HYP) bleaching process (peroxide/OBA, or P/OBA technology) because of its effectiveness for improving the optical properties of treated pulp. In this study, P/OBA technology was optimized for the peroxide bleaching of spruce thermomechanical pulp (TMP). The results obtained were further analyzed using data processing software, and the bleaching chemical cost was estimated. The results showed that the brightness ceiling (the highest “technical brightness”) of Koyama spruce TMP from conventional peroxide bleaching was 75.5% ISO. In contrast, the brightness ceiling of the same mechanical pulp could be raised to 85.9% ISO using P/OBA technology. At a low-brightness target, OBA is not effective when added to the peroxide bleach liquor, and thus is not economical for this purpose; however, at a high-brightness target, the P/OBA technology is effective due to the remarkable brightening effect of OBA. When the brightness target was 80% ISO, an optimized economic cost of 280.2 RMB/ton can be obtained under the “relay point” conditions of 2.57% peroxide and 0.6% OBA (on o.d. pulp).
Researchpp 3763-3777Yao, S., Wang, C., Gao, C., Shi, L., Nie, S., and Qin, C. (2018). "Molecular simulation of reaction mechanism for hemicellulose model compound during chlorine dioxide bleaching," BioRes. 13(2), 3763-3777.Abstract Article PDF
D-xylose, a hemicellulose model compound, was oxidized by chlorine dioxide under simulated bleaching conditions, and the mechanism of this reaction was investigated. The final reaction product, chloroacetic acid, was detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). To study the generating mechanism of chloroacetic acid by D-xylose during chlorine dioxide bleaching, three reaction pathways were designed. The results showed that the biggest heat of reaction, -234.33 kJ/mol, and the minimum reaction activation energy, 44.44 kJ/mol, appeared for one of the candidate pathways (no. 2). That pathway was thermodynamically more favored. Xylitol was generated by D-xylose degradation, and then chloroacetic acid was generated by a series of oxidation, fracture, and substitution reactions on xylitol.
Researchpp 3778-3792Zhu, S., Guo, Y., Tu, D., Chen, Y., Liu, S., Li, W., and Wang, L. (2018). "Water absorption, mechanical, and crystallization properties of high-density polyethylene filled with corncob powder," BioRes. 13(2), 3778-3792.Abstract Article PDF
Corncob powder filled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites were prepared by extrusion. The microstructure, water absorption, mechanical properties, and crystallinity of composite at different corncob powder content were investigated. Results demonstrated that when the corncob powder levels were moderate and uniformly dispersed within the HDPE matrix, the powder acted as a reinforcing agent. As the corncob content increased, the water absorption of the resulting composite gradually increased, which adversely affected the composite’s water resistance. Flexural strengths and moduli initially increased with increasing corncob powder levels, and then consequently decreased at higher powder levels; maximum values for flexural properties were achieved at 40% corncob powder content. The composite’s impact strength and toughness weakened with corncob powder addition. The X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry analyses indicated that when the corncob content increased, the peak crystallization and melting temperatures of the matrix increased and decreased, respectively. Meanwhile, the presence of the corncob restricted the movement and arrangement of the HDPE polymer chains, which affected HDPE crystal growth and causing a decrease in crystallinity.
Researchpp 3793-3808Li, L., Yu, J., Shen, Y., An, Y., and Wang, X. (2018). "Recovery of thermally compressed Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood," BioRes. 13(2), 3793-3808.Abstract Article PDF
Heartwood and sapwood samples of Scots pine were subjected to densification and thermal compression (180 °C to 220 °C) using a hot press, and their recovery behaviors and the involved mechanisms were investigated. Compressed wood (CW) showed poor recovery after water uptake. This deformation effectively was fixed by the subsequent high temperature treatment. To explain the phenomenon, the sorption properties of wood before and after modification by the adsorption isotherms were evaluated. The model of Hailwood and Horrobin gave the changes of the monolayer and multilayer sorption of each group samples and the relationship with wood deformation. By analyzing hygroscopic hysteresis, it was found that the removed elastic components from wood under elevated temperature had an inescapable impact on hysteresis ratio and recovery, even if it was not the only cause. In other words, the modified wood’s plasticity was responsible for its recovery.
Researchpp 3809-3816Munis, R. A., Camargo, D. A., De Almeida, A. C., De Araujo, V. A., Lima Junior, M. P., Morales, E. A. M., Simões, D., Biazzon, J. C., De Matos, C. A. O., and Cortez-Barbosa, J. C. (2018). "Parallel compression to grain and stiffness of cross laminated timber panels with bamboo reinforcement," BioRes. 13(2), 3809-3816.Abstract Article PDF
Four cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels with and without bamboo reinforcement were prepared and evaluated. The goal was to obtain better possibilities of using this lignocellulosic panel, based on their mechanical properties. Stiffness and strength of compression parallel to grain tests were conducted to simulate the utilization of this material as freestanding walls. Panels were produced based on Pinus elliottii wood species and glued with castor oil-based polyurethane resin. Half of these structural panels were also reinforced with strips of Dendrocalamus asper bamboo species, which were added on the outer layers. There was a significant increase in the parallel compression-to-grain in the configuration of the cross-laminated timber reinforced with bamboo in the longitudinal direction, which concentrates superior resistance.
Researchpp 3817-3831Jiang, L., He, C., Li, X., and Fu, J. (2018). "Wear properties of wood-plastic composites pretreated with a stearic acid-palmitic acid mixture before exposure to degradative water conditions," BioRes. 13(2), 3817-3831.Abstract Article PDF
Wood–plastic composites (WPCs) are experiencing rapid growth in terms of applications where they may be subject to degradation and wear. This paper investigated the effect of sorghum straw (SS) fiber, pretreated with a mixture of stearic and palmitic acids, on the wear behaviors of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites in alternated simulated sea water and acid rain aqueous conditions. The results showed that the water resistance of the SS/PVC composites improved noticeably after pretreatment with 0.80 wt% stearic and 0.50 wt% palmitic acid (0.8SA-0.5PA). The SS/PVC composites pretreated with 0.8SA-0.5PA exhibited high water (moisture) resistance, hardness, mechanical, thermal, and wear resistance properties. Exposure to degradative water worsened interfacial bonding, and degraded the matrix strength and heat resistance, which reduced the wear resistance of the SS/PVC composites. The wear mechanism of the SS/PVC composites after 12 d of soaking was abrasive wear.
Researchpp 3832-3845Abada, E. A., Masrahi, Y. S., Al-Abboud, M., Alnashiri, H. M., and El-Gayar, K. E. (2018). "Bioethanol production with cellulase enzyme from Bacillus cereus isolated from sesame seed residue from the Jazan region," BioRes. 13(2), 3832-3845.Abstract Article PDF
Bio-ethanol is considered as an important renewable fuel to partly replace fossil-derived fuels. In this study, bioethanol production, which includes cellulase production, saccharification of the cellulose content of sesame seed residue, and ethanol production, was investigated. Out of the hundreds of cellulase-producing bacterial strains isolated from sesame seed residue during this study, the B isolate was found to have the highest cellulase enzyme production. This isolate was identified as Bacillus cereus by 16S rRNA sequencing. The effects of different growth parameters, including inoculum concentration, incubation time, temperature, pH, and carbon and nitrogen sources, were investigated to optimize the growth conditions of the bacterium. The maximum cellulase activity was achieved with an inoculum concentration of 3% after 48 h in a basal medium at a pH of 7 and an incubation temperature of 35 °C. The best nitrogen and carbon sources were yeast extract and sesame seed residue, respectively. The results showed the liberation of 2.3 g/L of reducing sugar by the dinitrosalicylic acid method. This total reducing sugar produced 15 g/L of ethanol after 48 h when Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used as a fermentation agent. Hence, bioethanol was successfully produced from the cellulose of sesame seed residue using the cellulase enzyme from B. cereus.
Researchpp 3846-3867Prasetyo, V. E., Belleville, B., and Ozarska, B. (2018). "A proposed method and its development for wood recovery assessment in the furniture manufacturing process," BioRes. 13(2), 3846-3867.Abstract Article PDF
A proposed method for assessing wood recovery involves application of a machining station approach with volume and mass measurements. A medium wood furniture company located in Jepara, Indonesia was selected to develop the method. Batch measurements of the inputs and outputs for different types of indoor-furniture products at every station were collected and analysed. For the volume method, three dimensions were measured on each specimen: the length, width, and thickness. For the mass method, the specimens were weighed before and after each processing station using a balance. Based on the mass method, the average total wood recovery rate was 26.2% ± 2.3%. For individual products and per station, the significant difference in the wood recovery rate occurred only at the resawing and edging, and trimming stations. The relationship between the teak quality, product dimensions, and type of finish was significantly different, where A-quality teak, large dimensions, and polyurethane finish resulted in a higher wood recovery rate. Both methods were reliable because of insignificant differences in the wood recovery rates. However, the mass method was more efficient and practical. The proposed protocol using the mass method is a suitable and effective system because the contribution of the variance component of the method was 2.71%.
Researchpp 3868-3879Bardak, S. (2018). "Predicting the impacts of various factors on failure load of screw joints for particleboard using artificial neural networks," BioRes. 13(2), 3868-3879.Abstract Article PDF
Innovations in the furniture industry have an important place in the global competitive environment. The use of mechanical joining techniques is rapidly increasing in the furniture industry. One of the most common mechanical joining techniques is screwing. This study investigated the impacts of screw diameter, screw length, and the distance between the screws on the failure load of screw joints in particleboard. Additionally, a model was developed on an artificial neural network model (ANN), based on experimental data, to predict the failure load of joints. The results indicated that the highest tension and compression strengths of joints were achieved when the distance is 140 mm between the screws. Joint strengths of all specimens were improved when the screw length and diameter were increased. It is necessary to estimate the effect of various factors to improve furniture joint performance. Coefficients of determination at 0.98 (tension strength test) and 0.96 (compression strength test) were predicted for the testing phase by the ANN model. All these findings established that the prediction was compatible with experimental data of tension and compression strengths. The results of the analysis showed that the neural network approach was effective in predicting the failure load of screw joints and showed that the ANN model has great potential in the design optimization of furniture assemblies.
Researchpp 3880-3891Ouyang, T., Wang, L., Cheng, F., Hu, Y., and Zhao, X. (2018). "Lignocellulose fractionation and lignin depolymerization using glycerol and acidic ionic liquids: Identification of the main products by GC-MS," BioRes. 13(2), 3880-3891.Abstract Article PDF
Difficulties in fractionation and subsequent conversion of lignocellulosic biomass have restricted the development of sustainable biorefineries of lignocellulosic materials. Herein, an aqueous glycerol/acidic ionic liquid (AGAIL) process of coir was carried out under atmospheric and autogenerated pressure to investigate the lignocellulose fractionation and understand the main conversion products generated during the process. Additionally, the depolymerization capacity of the AGAIL system on lignin was also estimated by analyzing the main degradation products. The results indicated that the process under autogenerated pressure presented much higher delignification efficiency and more effective lignocellulose conversion capability than those under atmospheric pressure. Ribitol and monomeric aromatic compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) as the main conversion products of carbohydrates and lignin, respectively. The glycerol/AIL system was shown to be able to depolymerize coir lignin with a resulting lignin depolymerization extent of 28.1%. The main lignin depolymerization products were monomeric aromatic compounds.

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