Volume 11 Issue 2

Alkaline pre-treatments were performed for the production of organics-containing effluents from silver/white birch (Betula pendula/pubescens) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) chips prior to chemical pulping. Pre-treatment conditions were varied with respect to time (from 30 min to 120 min), temperature (130 °C and 150 °C), and alkali charge (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8% of NaOH on oven-dried wood). The analytical data (total content, weight average molar mass, and molar mass distribution) on dissolved lignin were subjected to principal component analysis to examine the relationship between molar mass and molar mass distributions in lignin removed from different wood species under varying alkaline pre-treatment conditions. Using this method, differences between the wood species and effects of the various pre-treatment process variables (i.e., time, temperature, and alkali charge) were determined.

Bending tests were conducted with cross laminated timber (CLT) panels made using an alternating layer arrangement. Boards of Norway spruce were used to manufacture five-layer panels on an industrial CLT production line. In total, 20 samples were tested, consisting of two CLT configurations with 10 samples of each type: transverse layers at 45° and the conventional 90° arrangement. Sample dimensions were 95 mm × 590 mm × 2000 mm. The CLT panels were tested by four point bending in the main load-carrying direction in a flatwise panel layup. The results indicated that bending strength increased by 35% for elements assembled with 45° layers in comparison with 90° layers. Improved mechanical load bearing panel properties could lead to a larger span length with less material.

The preparation of nanocellulose via Cr(NO3)3-assisted sulfuric acid hydrolysis was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The experiment was performed using a five-level, four-factor central composite design coupled with RSM in order to optimize nanocellulose crystallinity and product yield. Four factors were evaluated for the preparation of nanocellulose: (1) reaction temperature, (2) hydrolysis time, (3) Cr(NO3­)3 concentration, and (4) H2SO4 concentration. Based on the RSM model, the maximum yield and highest crystallinity of nanocellulose was obtained under hydrolysis conditions of 82.2 °C, 0.22 M Cr(NO3)3, and 0.80 M H2SO4 with 1 h of reaction. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of the obtained nanocellulose were examined, revealing that the amorphous regions were successfully hydrolyzed, while the crystalline region remained unaltered. Morphology analysis also showed that the nanocellulose was an interconnected web-like network. Thus, both H2SO4 and Cr(III) metal salt concentration were important factors that influenced the nanocellulose yield and crystallinity index.

This paper utilized 12 coating systems, based on an acrylate and a hydrophobic polymer, with the addition of light pigments, nano-sized polyvalent metal (AsS-chelate complex) for ultraviolet protection, and iodopropynyl butylcarbamate fungicide. This study deals with the impact of the number of coats on the color stability and the surface defects of painted black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst L.) woods after up to three years of natural weathering, at a slope of 45°. The best coating system was created from three coats, which consisted of two pigmented acrylates (PerlColor) and one transparent hydrophobic water-repellent (AquaStop). The total color change, ΔE*, of the weathered surfaces was approximately two times lower when the application involved a pigmented coating system compared with a transparent one. The color stability of the surfaces and their resistance to defects was better when the coating system was applied to black locust wood compared with spruce wood. Smoother surfaces of wood before painting resulted in a higher resistance against cracking and other defects caused by natural weathering; however, the effect of the initial wood roughness on the color stability of painted woods during natural weathering was usually negligible.

Samples of corner joints of wooden rectangular windows, with widths of 78 and 92 mm, were used to determine the stiffness of tenon and mortise joints. Two series of samples were loaded statically in the angular plane of compression and tension, so that the bending moment could be derived. The objective of the experiment was to determine the existing correlations between the stiffness in maximum strength and the stiffness in the elastic area for both types of tests. After strength tests were carried out, the annual ring width of the samples was measured to determine whether this factor affects the stiffness of the joints. The results showed that there was a relatively strong correlation between the stiffness in the elastic area and the maximum load. A two-factor analysis of variance confirmed that the type of load did not affect the stiffness of the joint, but the type of joint (width) does significantly affect the stiffness. Therefore, the width of annual rings was positively correlated with the stiffness of the joints.

The production of paperboard packaging components in fast-running machines requires reliability of the production process. Boundaries for the process parameters and constraints for the geometry of the tools require investigation to determine dependable configurations. This paper aimed to investigate the relationships between process parameters, tool geometry, and the occurrence of rupture in the deep-drawing process of paperboard. Different types of ruptures in various phases of the process were distinguished and linked to their specific cause. An extensive experimental investigation with multiple variables of influence was conducted. A logistic regression model was used to describe the experimental data and was statistically validated. The blankholder force was found to be the most influential parameter. Interactions between the parameters blankholder force, punch velocity, and punch diameter were recognized. A high punch velocity can reduce the probability of rupture when the punch diameter is adjusted.

Lignosulfonate fibers were produced using electrospinning technology, a method of manufacturing fibrous materials using polymeric solutions, by adding traces of polyethylene oxide to lignosulfonate solutions. Continuous and uniform fibers were obtained under appropriate processing conditions. Solution concentration, applied voltage, flow rate, and syringe-to-collector distance all had effects on fiber formation and diameter. Certain interactive effects among these processing parameters were also observed. Solution concentration was the most significant parameter influencing the diameters of the resulting lignosulfonate fibers. Higher solution concentrations resulted in greater fiber diameters. A broader distribution of fibers was observed as the solution concentration increased. Applied voltage, flow rate, and syringe-to-collector distance had moderate effects on the fiber diameters, and needle gauge had a minor impact on the fiber diameters.

White ledger is white-grade recycled pulp that replaces the bleached kraft pulp (BKP) that typically forms the top ply of duplex boards. However, sheets made from white ledger are inferior in strength compared with those made from virgin pulp. Therefore, it is necessary to select a proper additive in order to overcome the disadvantages of using white ledger. In this study, the physical properties of white ledger used at a mill that produced duplex boards were analyzed. The effect of cationic polyacrylamides (C-PAMs) with different charge densities and molecular weights on first-pass retention and paper strengths was simultaneously measured. White ledger contains fiber fines and filler fines, which reduced the strength of paper made from white ledger compared with paper made with BKP. This indicates that the improvement of first-pass retention and paper strength is important when the amount of white ledger increases in the top ply of a duplex board. The charge density of C-PAM, which acts as a retention aid, is more important than its molecular weight in terms of improving the first-pass retention and paper strength of white ledger. The charge density of C-PAM must be high enough to catch anionic fine particles.

The biological conversion of cellulosic biomass to biofuel is hindered by cell wall recalcitrance, which can limit the ability of cellulases to access and break down cellulose. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether hydroxyproline-rich cell wall proteins (extensins) are present in poplar stem biomass, and whether these proteins may contribute to recalcitrance. Three classical extensin genes were identified in Populus trichocarpa through bioinformatic analysis of poplar genome sequences, with the following proposed names: PtEXTENSIN1 (Potri.001G019700); PtEXTENSIN2 (Potri.001G020100); PtEXTENSIN3 (Potri.018G050100). Tissue print immunoblots localized the extensin proteins in poplar stems to regions near the vascular cambium. Different thermochemical pretreatments reduced but did not eliminate hydroxyproline (Hyp, a proxy for extensins) from the biomass. Protease treatment of liquid hot water-pretreated poplar biomass reduced Hyp content by a further 16% and increased subsequent glucose yield by 20%. These data suggest that extensins may contribute to recalcitrance in pretreated poplar biomass, and that incorporating protease treatment into pretreatment protocols could result in a small but significant increase in the yield of fermentable glucose.

The supramolecular structures of a substrate, such as crystallinity, specific surface area, average pore size, and cellulase adsorption capacity, etc., affect the enzymatic hydrolysis of a lignocellulosic biomass. It is unclear which of these factors is most important for efficient hydrolysis. To eliminate the influence of the hemicellulose content and the lignin, sugarcane bagasse samples with the same cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin content but with different particle sizes were used as substrates to investigate the relationship between physical properties and enzymatic conversion efficiency. When the content of hemicellulose and lignin was not significantly different, the decrease in the crystallinity index (CrI) and the increase in the specific surface area (SSA), cellulase adsorption, average pore size, and the cellulase adsorption per SSA could give rise to higher enzymatic convertibility. The effects of the CrI and the average pore size were more pronounced than the effects of the SSA, the cellulase adsorption capacity, and the cellulase adsorption per SSA. According to the developed formula, the CrI was more influential than the average pore size under the specific conditions.