Volume 21 Issue 3

The extent of cellulose fiber biodegradation, according to many published studies, tends to reach a plateau value well below 100%. This editorial proposes that the apparent residue of not-biodegraded cellulose may be due to simplifying assumptions in a commonly used assay to quantify cellulose biodegradation. Some such tests are based on the production of CO₂. The evolved CO₂ is removed from the air by an alkaline trap, which triggers a quantified addition of O₂ gas. However, N₂ and NH₃ gases are evolved during biodegradation. The theoretical amount of nitrogen might explain a shift of up to 0.63% in the extent of biodegradation. Another possibility is that the evolution of nitrogen-based gases starves the biological system of nitrogen, thereby terminating biodegradation in the test container. This editorial asks: “Is biodegradation of cellulose usually more complete in comparison to the results from standard tests?” If yes, that would match the fact that cellulose does not build up endlessly in the environment. These findings have direct implications for natural fibers such as cotton, which might be systematically underdetermined in standard biodegradation comparisons against synthetic fibers.

Biomass energy refers to various forms of energy derived from plants and microorganisms, including agricultural residues, forestry wastes, energy crops, and organic components of municipal and industrial wastes. It is a promising renewable energy source and an important part of the global sustainable energy system. As a renewable, carbon-neutral energy resource, it plays a critical role in replacing fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and building a sustainable low-carbon energy system. It also plays an important role in ensuring national energy security, social sustainable development, and rural revitalization. It is an effective way of biomass valorization and an important component of the low-carbon economy. Great progress in biomass energy development has been made in recent years. However, large-scale biomass energy development is still facing great challenges. This editorial will give a brief discussion on biomass energy in relation to national energy security, sustainability, and rural revitalization. In addition, the challenges of large-scale biomass energy development will also be addressed.

Corrugated box specifications are often written for ease of purchasing comparison or simple validation rather than for end-use performance. This practice may not be ideal for optimization of either costs or sustainability. Given the functional needs of the packaging, the purchaser is better served by collaborating with their packaging provider to create a technical spec that provides flexibility for true optimization. That process must recognize existing variability in materials and distribution environments. It requires understanding acceptable failure rates, clear distinctions between critical and non-critical damage, and collaboration to identify root causes. No single metric can capture all box requirements; achieving further light-weighting and performance gains depends on multi-metric, trust-based producer–purchaser partnerships.

Quality assessment of corrugated board in industrial practice is usually based on individual laboratory tests such as the edge-crush test, bending stiffness, or shear-related measurements. While informative, single-test evaluation cannot capture the combined effects of anisotropy, structural degradation, and material efficiency. This editorial highlights the need for a universal, factory-oriented quality index that integrates results from commonly used tests into a single, interpretable scalar. The proposed concept emphasizes normalization with respect to basis weight, aggregation of directional properties, and sensitivity to shear-related damage mechanisms. A general mathematical framework is outlined, demonstrating how mechanical performance, structural integrity, and economic considerations may be combined to support transparent benchmarking and more informed industrial decision-making.

Methylcellulose (MC), as a simple cellulose derivative has unique merits, involving water solubility and inherent temperature-induced phase transitions, which have potential in sustainable pesticide delivery applications. Despite the discovery of MC’s thermally responsive property in 1935, it attracted attention just a few years ago, owing to increasing demands for sustainable materials. However, the phase transition temperature of MC thermogel is relatively high, and factors on tuning its low critical solution temperature are also not clearly elucidated, which restricts its gelation and Pickering emulsion delivery material developments. This editorial discusses solutions in terms of tunable thermally induced phase transitions of MC, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, carboxyl methylcellulose, and their thermogels and high internal phase Pickering emulsions as potential pesticide- and fertilizer-delivery carrier materials to enrich diverse forestry management practices and contribute to sustainable agricultural ecosystems and unmanned aerial vehicles-based low-altitude economy.

This editorial explores a decorative green packaging approach that integrates Changbaishan plant fibers with the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) paper-cutting craft, focusing on its structural contribution to high-purity recycling. It is shown that replacing chemical laminates and synthetic components in conventional modern packaging with the hollow-out aesthetics of paper-cutting can significantly increase the specific surface area of materials, thus accelerating biodegradation rates. This structural strategy not only ensures the purity of fiber recycling but also elevates the green premium of the Changbaishan brand through the infusion of ICH culture, providing a replicable practical model for the green transformation of local characteristic economies.

In many human societies, trees are an essential component of creative expression. The native people of Borneo, an ethnic group who formerly inhabited a large portion of Borneo, combine technology, art, and traditional knowledge of trees and their forests in their woodcarving art. The carved art depicts the generational sociocultural link between people, their land, and sustainable management techniques meant to protect traditional culture. In the context of the Sarawak Iban in Borneo, this editorial emphasizes the relationship between wood qualities and indigenous carving art with the goal of demonstrating ancestral knowledge of the forest and its species.

The resurgence of traditional culture has driven market demand for high-quality writing brushes. Natural bamboo frequently suffers from hygroscopic cracking, whereas polymer substitutes face the dual challenges of aesthetic deficiency and formaldehyde emission. While flat-molded binderless technology offers environmental advantages, it remains inadequate for addressing the high density and durability requirements of cylindrical artifacts. This study uses high-consistency mechano-enzymatic (HCME) pretreatment and cylindrical molding. It transforms bamboo processing residues into high-density binderless brush handles. Under HCME treatment, fibers fibrillate and parenchyma cells fragment. These changes induce microstructural reorganization. This reorganization constitutes a critical micro-filler effect. Porosity decreased to 3.27%, enabling a high density of 1.27 g/cm³. A thickness swelling (TS) below 5.1% effectively mitigated hygroscopic defects, while the material exhibited robust ink resistance. Attributable to micro-brittleness, chips broke cleanly during lathe turning; this eliminated fiber tearing and yielded a mirror-like surface finish. This formaldehyde-free approach achieved mechanical performance comparable to the tactile sensation of precious hardwoods but provided a potential pathway for extending binderless technology to the manufacturing of high-value cultural artifacts.

The fire and thermal behavior of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and silver birch (Betula pendula L.) woods were comparatively evaluated after being modified by thermal treatment (200 °C), acetylation, and one-sided surface charring. A small-flame ignition test (EN ISO 11925-2), gross heat of combustion via bomb calorimetry (EN ISO 1716), and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TG/DTG) were used for assessment. Thermal modification resulted in moderate mass loss (~3% to 4%), while acetylation achieved high weight percentage gain (>20%) and the strongest reduction in equilibrium moisture content; surface charring had only a negligible effect on bulk moisture properties. While none of the applied modifications altered the Euroclass-related reaction-to-fire classification, statistically significant differences in early-stage flame spread were observed. Acetylated wood exhibited increased flame spread, whereas surface-charred specimens showed a pronounced reduction, particularly for beech. All modified materials displayed higher gross heat of combustion compared with reference wood, reflecting increased carbon-rich constituents; however, this increase did not directly correspond to improved fire performance. TGA revealed similar degradation behavior for reference and thermally modified wood, whereas acetylated and surface-charred materials exhibited fundamentally different thermal responses because of chemical substitution and polysaccharide degradation with carbon-rich char formation, respectively. The study highlighted surface charring as an effective modification for reducing flame spread and demonstrates the necessity of combining complementary fire-testing methods to capture modification-specific fire behavior.

Nondestructive testing (NDT), also referred to as nondestructive evaluation/examination (NDE), applied to wood studies, has shown steady global growth driven by the development of innovative techniques and technologies that enable the characterization of wood pieces and structures while minimizing damage. The objective of this study was to analyze the development and recent trends of nondestructive testing in wood. To achieve this, a bibliometric analysis (1982-2025) and a systematic review (2020-2025) were conducted to identify the main research lines, commonly used techniques, and emerging approaches and future perspectives. A total of 303 Scopus-indexed scientific articles were analyzed using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix: Biblioshiny, and 137 recent articles were used for the literature review. The results revealed four main research lines: (I) NDE-NDT with computed tomography for defect detection; (II) NDT for the inspection of wooden buildings and structures; (III) ultrasound in forestry for the characterization of mechanical properties; and (IV) moisture content in wood products. Scientific output showed sustained growth, with China as the leading country and Northeast Forestry University as the most productive institution. Traditional NDT techniques prevail, while emerging approaches and artificial intelligence applications demonstrate that wood NDT research is an expanding field with diversified applications and increasing international relevance.