Volume 20 Issue 3

Roof tiles come in various forms and are crucial to residential construction. A roof tile composite offers the market a selection of superior roof tile products in terms of strength, low density, and environmental friendliness. This research aimed to improve the surface performance and durability of sorghum bagasse-based roof tile composite (SBRTC) through surface coating with natural polymer. Sorghum bagasse was made into roof tile composite using a mixture of molasses and citric acid adhesives (50:50) with a target density of 0.6 g/cm³. Furthermore, the SBRTC surface was coated with tannin–polyurethane at different concentrations (10%, 20%, and 30%), and the results were compared with both uncoated and polyurethane-coated samples. The parameters tested included physical and mechanical properties, surface characteristics, and durability against termite and brown-rot fungi. The result showed increasing density, dimensional stability, mechanical properties, and durability. At the same time, the moisture content decreased. Surface performance exhibits a decrease in the average surface roughness (R_a) value, indicating a smoother surface of roof tile composite after surface coating. Furthermore, a high contact angle, low K-value, and low wettability were achieved. It indicates a more hydrophobic surface. The optimal tannin concentration in the coating solution was 20%.

One of the most prevalent and renewable forms of biomass on Earth is lignocellulose, which has an enormous potential for bioconversion into valuable bioproducts. However, this resource is not fully exploited. This review considers the enzymatic hydrolyses of these materials and the impact of their bioproducts on the nutritional and health levels. Understanding lignocellulolytic enzymes and their uses in industry would aid in the development of innovative procedures that lower costs and increase the uptake of biomass, both of which are more beneficial. The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass is achieved by pre-treating biological process that considered inexpensive, feasible, and ecologically acceptable approach followed hydrolysis via enzymes. These enzymes can be applied in several industries, such as the textile, meals and beverages, personal hygiene, medicinal products, and in biofuel manufacturing sectors. Several products are based on lignocellulosic biomass conversion such as bioenergy compounds, organic acids, single cell protein, and Xylitol. Pretreatment and type of biological process of lignocellulosic biomass conversion plays a critical factor for quantitative and qualitative yields of bioproduct of lignocellulosic biomass conversion. Finally, the nutrition and health benefits of some end products of lignocellulosic biomass conversion are covered in this review.

In today’s competitive market, meeting consumers’ satisfaction and emotional needs is crucial for business success. However, the cognitive gap between designers and consumers often hinders market recognition for bamboo furniture. Therefore, a research framework based on Kansei Engineering (KE) is proposed in this study. First, the emotional needs and related samples were collected, and the sample form was deconstructed systematically. Then, the attribute reduction algorithm in rough set theory was used to extract the key emotional needs that have significant impact on consumer satisfaction. Finally, an intelligent mapping model between product components and emotional needs was constructed using Genetic Algorithm-Backpropagation Neural Networks (GA-BPNN), which predicts the optimal product design parameters that meet users’ emotional needs. Additionally, we conducted an interpretative analysis of the prediction model using the Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) method. The evaluation results were significantly higher than the average, validating the advanced and effective nature of the method proposed in this study. Compared with previous KE studies, the GA-BPNN model proposed in this study has better prediction efficiency and higher precision, which can more effectively solve the cognitive differences between designers and consumers. Thus, the development efficiency and decision-making accuracy of enterprises’ product design has been improved.