Research Articles

Agriculture generates a large volume of waste and contributes to environmental pollution. For instance, pruning the orchards leads to an abundant volume of woody residues. Disposing of this material improperly has adverse effects. Thus, it makes sense to convert this material into wood pellets or activated carbon (AC). This work compared these two options by producing samples of both types from the same biomass. A sample of AC was prepared in a fluidized bed reactor at an activation temperature of 580 °C and a residence time of 120 min. The life cycle assessment (LCA) technique was employed to assess the environmental impacts. Findings determined that the produced AC had a BET area and iodine number of up to 940 and 860 mg/g, respectively. Furthermore, the outputs of the LCA analysis demonstrated that wood pellets compared to AC had more environmental impacts for the global warming, abiotic depletion, ozone layer depletion, and photochemical oxidation indicators. Generally, the results showed that between the defined methods for managing the generated woody waste, using them as a feedstock for AC production is preferable to wood pellets production. In this case, the benefits for the farmers and the environment are significantly greater.

Bamboo plantations are in high demand in the global market due to bamboo’s versatility and fast-growing nature. Dendrocalamus asper is one of the important species and is utilized in various industries, making it an economically valuable crop. Increasing yields while maintaining effective cost management is essential for planters. However, water stress possesses a significant challenge which can potentially disrupt bamboo growth and its physiological responses and thus the plant productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth and physiological responses of D. asper under different water treatments. A total of 45 seedlings were placed in a greenhouse and subjected to three different watering regimes at field capacity. The growth and physiological parameters including culm diameter, plant height, transpiration rate, photosynthesis rate, intercellular carbon dioxide concentration, and stomatal conductance were measured.  The study showed that 100% of water capacity produced the best results for all the growth and physiological parameters measured. The reduction of water significantly reduced the growth of the seedlings, and the increment of water application beyond that point did not contribute to the increment of the plant growth. This indicates that excessive watering of bamboo did not improve growth performance, emphasizing the importance in optimizing water usage and conserving resources for economic sustainability.

The static structural behavior was investigated for the ‘Five-tier Outer Eave Column-head Dougong bracket’ from the Main Hall of Nanchan Temple (Tang Dynasty of ancient China) using finite element analysis (FEA). A refined ANSYS model was developed with an orthotropic constitutive framework based on mechanical properties of Pinus sylvestris (tested per GB/T standards), incorporating the Hill yield criterion to define wood plasticity. Vertical monotonic static loading (Z-axis) and horizontal low-cycle reciprocating loading (Y- and X-axes) were simulated to evaluate strength, deformation, and energy dissipation. Results revealed a vertical ultimate bearing capacity of 338 kN (Z-axis) with stress concentrations at the column-head/base-block interface (21.8 MPa). Horizontal loading demonstrated symmetric hysteresis loops, yielding peak thrusts of 1,417 kN (Y-axis) and 747 kN (X-axis), accompanied by ductility coefficients of 2.53 and equivalent viscous damping coefficients of 0.096 (Y-axis) and 0.073 (X-axis). The vertical response followed a tri-linear stiffness degradation model, while horizontal behavior aligned with multi-linear restoring force models. These findings validate FEA as a cost-effective method for characterizing Dougong mechanics, providing critical insights for heritage timber structure conservation.

An integrated design framework was developed to optimize timber-based elderly care facilities across three critical dimensions: environmental performance, health outcomes, and economic feasibility. By systematically analyzing engineered timber’s thermal regulation, humidity control, and biophilic properties, a data-driven model was established that balances material science with spatial adaptability requirements. It was found that cross-laminated timber (CLT) walls reduce HVAC energy consumption by 17% through delayed heat transmission, while maintaining stable indoor humidity levels (40 to 60% RH), which is crucial for respiratory health. The framework achieved a 23% improvement in elderly satisfaction compared to conventional designs, which can be attributed to wood’s natural terpene emissions and optimized spatial configurations. Modular timber partitions enabled rapid layout reconfiguration (2-hour adjustments) while maintaining acoustic insulation and wheelchair accessibility standards. Lifecycle analysis revealed 14% higher cost-effectiveness through prefabrication advantages and material durability. A case study validation showed timber systems support 12% larger window areas without compromising thermal performance, confirming practical applicability. This research provides a replicable model for integrating sustainable materials with geriatric care architecture, addressing both climate challenges and aging population needs.

Variations in Cu, Co, Cr, Cd, and Pb concentrations were evaluated in soil and plant organs at a copper mining site. Soil and plant samples (leaf, bark, wood, and root) were taken from different soil depths in the spoil area, the rehabilitation area where Pinus nigra Arnold., Pinus sylvestris L., and Robinia pseudoacacia L. species were planted, and the forest area. It was found that Cr and Cd concentrations in soils and Cu concentration in spoil areas were largely below the detectable limits. However, the concentration of these elements in plants was quite high. The highest concentrations were generally obtained in Pinus nigra. Except for Cr, the highest mean values were obtained in Pinus nigra. The highest translocation factor (TF) values calculated in the same way were also obtained in Pinus nigra and it was determined that the TF value was up to 6.739. The study results also show that Pinus nigra is a suitable species that can be used to reduce the pollution of the heavy metals subject to the study.

This study explores the potential of porang flour (Amorphophallus muelleri) as a sustainable filler in urea formaldehyde (UF) and citric acid (CA) adhesives, highlighting its effect on enhancing plywood performance. The physical and mechanical properties of plywood bonded with varying compositions of porang flour (0%, 10%, 20%) were evaluated according to Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS 233:2003) for plywood. Three-layer plywood panels were manufactured using sengon wood and both types of adhesives. The results showed that adding porang flour to UF and CA adhesives significantly increased the solids content and improved physical and mechanical properties. Plywood bonded with UF exhibited superior density, water absorption, thickness swelling, and shear strength properties. Conversely, plywood bonded with CA adhesive showed better results in moisture content, modulus of elasticity (MOE), and modulus of rupture (MOR). Overall, adding 10% porang flour was optimal for improving plywood’s physical and mechanical properties. These findings suggest that porang flour is an eco-friendly additive that can enhance the performance of natural adhesives in plywood manufacturing, providing a greener alternative to conventional adhesives.

Bleached kraft papers obtained from unbeaten (UB) and beaten (B) pulps were separately treated with zinc borate (ZB) and boric acid (BA) to improve their flame retardancy. The immersion method was chosen for application, and natural soy protein was added as a binder. The combined effect of soy protein (SP) and used boron compounds was observed. To investigate the thermal and fire resistance properties of the bleached kraft papers (BKP), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), limited oxygen index levels (LOI), and UL-94 burning test were performed.  The brightness and color parameters (L*, a*, b*, ∆L*, ∆a*, ∆b*, ∆E*) were also measured to determine the optical properties. The results showed that the combined effect of ZB and BA used with SP increased the flame resistance of kraft papers. The bleached kraft paper treated with BA had better flame retardancy in terms of LOI and UL-94 burning tests than paper treated with ZB. These results were also consistent with the TGA and DSC findings. Furthermore, the optical properties varied slightly depending on the chemical usage rates. Zinc borate and SP had a more positive effect on the brightness values of the bleached kraft papers compared to BA and SP.

Consumers rely on sensory perception to judge the appearance of furniture, often guided by intuitive associations with shape. This process allows furniture designers to better understand and respond to consumer preferences and expectations. This work used a questionnaire design and analysis survey by using the material, color, style, shape, and surface decoration of furniture as the main evaluation indexes. Additionally, consumers’ furniture appearance indicators were analyzed by combining quantitative and qualitative research methods. Satisfaction analysis (attitude index) of color, shape, material, style, and surface decoration of furniture for different consumers’ age, education level, and gender. Finally, consumers’ psychological and perceptual preferences were analyzed based on the correlation between indicators to form product imagery. This study can guide the appearance design of furniture and avoid design blindness, thus reducing the design risk.

The problem with plastic packaging is globally recognized, as plastic packages often end up in landfills without degrading. Using packages made from natural materials is the best choice to address and sustainably solve this issue. In this work, a single-use container (tray) was prepared from arecanut leaf sheath through a hot-compression molding process. The electrical energy required for the compression molding process was obtained from mainly electricity and 3 kW solar cells, reducing the cost by more than 50%, depending on the mold size and operating temperature. The pressing of arecanut leaf sheaths through a two-roll mill for 20 cycles at a high temperature (80 °C) before the compression molding process can increase the mechanical properties of the tray container. The tensile strength of the leaf sheath tray was higher than for polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PP) commercial trays. Reducing bacterial contamination of the plates can be achieved by using ultraviolet (UV) light. Almost all bacteria were reduced from 410 CFU/g to ˂10 CFU/g after UV exposure (40 μW/cm²) for 10 min. This suggests the possibility of using arecanut leaf sheath plates as food contact material, especially in single-use container applications.

Oriented strand board (OSB) was prepared from the strands of rubberwood (RW) and Acacia mangium (AC), with inclusion of kenaf core (KC). The KC was used as substitution, where 5% was added with RW and AC during the manufacturing process of OSB. Considering the expected negative impact of adding KC on the performance of the OSB, various levels of PF resin content were used. This study applied phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin contents of 7%, 9%, and 11%. The OSB samples produced were evaluated for thickness swelling (TS), water absorption (WA), modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and internal bonding strength (IB). Generally, incorporation of kenaf core reduced the mechanical and physical properties of the OSB. However, its mechanical and physical properties could be improved by increasing the resin content. Based on the findings, taking into consideration the properties of OSB as well as the cost of resin, 9% resin content is recommended.