Volume 10 Issue 4

The wetting phenomena and surface energetic behavior in heat-treated bamboo were studied. The bamboo specimens were heat-treated at temperatures of 100, 140, and 180 °C for 4 h, and an untreated sample served as a control. The sessile drop technique was used to estimate the surface contact angles of the control and heat-treated bamboo samples. The contact angle data were then used to determine the surface free energies using the Lifshitz-van der Waals/acid-based approach. The results revealed that the heat treatment process affects surface wettability. Heat treatment at 100 to 180 °C increased the contact angle of distilled water and formamide, but heat treatment did not cause any increase in the contact angle of diiodomethane. The hydrophobic characteristics of the bamboo surfaces also increased under heat treatment, and the surface free energy and the polarity of the bamboo decreased. Surface analysis by XPS of the samples heat-treated at 180 °C showed a decreased O/C ratio and increased C1 peak, indicating that more lignin and extractives were situated on the bamboo surface. Changes in wettability can greatly impact the use of the material, particularly with respect to the adhesion of paints and coatings.

Organosolv lignin degradation was carried out through hydrogenolysis routes with SO42-/ZrO2 as the catalyst. Structural characterization and antioxidant activity of organosolv lignin samples were investigated; the antioxidant activity of the organosolv lignin was compared with that of soda lignin. Results showed that the active functional groups contents of organosolv lignin were increased, and the antioxidant activity of organosolv lignin was improved. The total hydroxyl and phenolic hydroxyl group contents of organosolv lignin were increased by 15.81% and 26.55%, respectively, and the Mw was decreased from 5739 g/mol to 4499 g/mol. The IC50 of organosolv lignin on DPPH radicals scavenging rate, ABTS+ radicals scavenging rate, and reducing power were decreased by 18.91%, 18.08%, and 8.48%, respectively. The catalyzed organosolv lignin can be used as a natural antioxidant for functional food or in cosmetic and polymeric materials.

To improve technical performance of wood siding, treatment with maleic anhydride was applied. The effects on technical performance of drying time and esterification temperature parameters were analyzed. Wood samples of lodgepole pine and white pine were treated and tested. Results indicated that treatment improves technical performance of wood (dimensional stability, fungal degradation resistance, and accelerated aging). FTIR spectroscopy analysis showed spectra with peaks at 1750 to 1730 cm-1. These correspond to ester bonds formed between wood hydroxyl groups and MA carboxylic acid groups. SEM images indicate that the MA quantity in wood cavities was increased with decreasing esterification temperature. Weight percent gain (WPG) increased with decreasing time and temperature of esterification. Artificial aging and fungal degradation performances were monitored using FTIR analysis. Esterification temperature had no important effect on fungal degradation. Weight loss after fungal exposure of treated samples was not only due to fungal action but also due to evaporation of MA during the drying step. Regarding artificial aging, degradation of wood components and ester bonds were less for samples esterified at 180 °C than those esterified at 160 °C or 140 °C.

Ground calcium carbonate (GCC) was modified in this work using starch, sodium stearate, and sodium hexametaphosphate. The effects of reaction temperature and the dosage of sodium hexametaphosphate on the coating weight of modified GCC and the utilization rate were considered. The strength (tensile, burst, and tear) of papers filled with modified GCC vs. unmodified GCC was compared. The research showed that lower precipitation reaction temperature was conducive to the increase of modified GCC coating weight and the complex utilization rate. A proper dosage of sodium hexametaphosphate could effectively increase the coating weight of modified GCC and the complex utilization rate. Compared with unmodified GCC filled papers, modified GCC filled papers performed better with respect to paper strength, but the optical properties (brightness and opacity) showed the opposite trend.

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.