Volume 21 Issue 3

Reliable embedment properties are essential for the design of bolted glulam connections, yet most available equations were developed for sawn timber. This study investigated the embedment behavior of Douglas-fir glued-laminated timber by full-hole tests on 13 specimen series with a constant 1 mm hole clearance. The matrix was designed to isolate the effects of bolt diameter (8 to 16 mm), load-to-grain angle (0 to 90°), and member thickness (30 to 40 mm). Increasing bolt diameter markedly increased embedment stiffness, from 4.20 to 8.46 kN/mm in the 35 mm parallel-to-grain series, while strength changed only slightly. For the 12 mm reference series, both yield strength and stiffness decreased from 0° to 60° and then partially recovered at 90°, confirming pronounced anisotropic behavior. Increasing thickness improved the overall response, although the strength trend over 30–35–40 mm was not strictly monotonic. Existing Eurocode 5 and NDS equations showed noticeable deviations, especially for off-axis loading. A modified Hankinson-type model gave the closest agreement with the measured yield embedment strengths and offers a more reliable basis for the design and assessment of low-to-medium diameter bolted glulam connections.

Cold plasma is an eco-friendly approach for tailoring starch-based film-forming solutions (FFS) through reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). This study compared (i) plasma-activated water (PAW) blended with distilled water at 10:90, 20:80, and 30:70 (PAW:DW) and (ii) direct plasma treatment of potato starch FFS for 5, 10, and 15 min, evaluating rheological, textural, optical, and structural responses. PAW exhibited strong activation (pH 2.56; ORP 434.7 mV) with elevated conductivity and dissolved solids, indicating ionic enrichment. Apparent viscosity increased in all treated samples relative to the control, with the highest viscosity observed for PAW-blended FFS. Dynamic oscillatory measurements indicated that direct plasma exposure reduced viscoelastic moduli in a time-dependent manner, consistent with disruption of the starch network at higher treatment intensities, whereas PAW blends partially preserved elasticity. Color analysis showed increased lightness and whiteness index in PAW-treated samples, indicating improved optical uniformity. FTIR spectra showed changes in O–H stretching intensity and emergence/ intensification of oxidation-related bands, which is consistent with chemical modification of the starch matrix. Overall, direct plasma and PAW blending induced distinct molecular rearrangements in hydrated starch systems, offering tunable pathways for tailoring starch-based film-forming systems for potential biodegradable packaging applications, as a precursor to future film-level investigations.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is widely used in construction, medical devices, wire and cable insulation, and consumer products because of its low cost, flame retardancy, and corrosion resistance. However, its inherent rigidity and brittleness limit its use in flexible materials, making plasticization necessary. In this study, poly(lactic acid)-block-poly(caprolactone) (PLA-PCL) was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization, and multi-amino carbon dots (CDs) were prepared by a hydrothermal method and incorporated into PLA-PCL through acid-base interactions. The PLA/PCL ratio was optimized to improve the mechanical performance of flexible PVC. Results showed that CDs-PLA-PCL had good compatibility with PVC. Under the optimal formulation, the PVC/CDs-PLA-PCL film exhibited a tensile strength of 56.01 MPa and a toughness of 172.98 MJ/m³, representing 2.31- and 2.09-fold increases over DOP-plasticized PVC, respectively. The films also showed excellent migration resistance and fluorescence, indicating that CDs-PLA-PCL is a promising plasticizer for high-performance flexible PVC materials.

Against the backdrop of increasingly severe global food security challenges and constraints on arable land, the remediation and efficient utilization of saline-alkali land has become a critical issue. While biochar shows significant potential for the remediation of saline-alkali soil, the mechanisms involved at the aggregate scale remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of application levels (0%, 1%, 2% and 5%) of rice straw biochar on the physicochemical properties, aggregate organic carbon, and mineralization in saline-alkali soil. The results indicated that biochar application significantly decreased soil pH and the concentrations of Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions, while increasing the levels of K⁺ ions and exchangeable Ca²⁺ ions. These changes effectively improved the soil’s ionic environment and fertility, thereby promoting the growth of rapeseed seedlings. Biochar also enhanced microbial biomass carbon and activity, facilitating organic carbon transformation and stabilization. Furthermore, an appropriate amount of biochar significantly increased the proportion of 0.075 to 0.2 mm and 3 to 2 mm aggregates, thereby promoting the aggregation of microaggregates into macroaggregates. These findings clarify how biochar enhances the stability of aggregate organic carbon by improving soil structure, regulating ion composition, and modulating microbial activity. This provides a theoretical basis for the remediation of saline-alkali soil.

This research investigated the effect of glutaraldehyde solutions on antibacterial resistance of composite boards manufactured with different combinations of urea formaldehyde (UF) and glutaraldehyde (GA) binder adhesives. The composite boards were general-purpose furniture panels (e.g., kitchen worktops, shelving, laboratory benchtops, or cabinet components) intended for household or workshop environments where surfaces may encounter microbial contamination from hands or spills, but not for direct food contact. Composite boards with varying UF/GA ratios and different binder solution concentrations were manufactured. The surfaces of these boards were treated with different numbers of layers (one or two) using GA solutions at 10% and 20% concentrations. The antibacterial performance of all samples was quantitatively evaluated by measuring the percentage of microbial growth. The results revealed a strong synergistic effect between the binder chemistry and surface treatment on antibacterial activity. The highest antibacterial performance was observed when the board containing 7.5% UF and 7.5% GA was treated with two layers of 10% GA solution, which suppressed microbial growth to a remarkably low level of 4.30%. Conversely, high-concentration GA applications adversely affected performance and noticeably reduced antibacterial efficacy in samples containing only pure UF or GA.

Despite extensive research on anaerobic digestion (AD), the combined effects of intermittent stirring energy demand and substrate co-digestion on overall energy performance have remained insufficiently explored. This study evaluated the effects of intermittent stirring duration and the AD performance of cattle dung (CD), poultry droppings (PD), rabbit droppings (RD), and their mixtures on methane production and net energy recovery.  Experiments were conducted in 30 L laboratory-scale mechanically stirred batch anaerobic digesters operated under mesophilic conditions and intermittent stirring durations of 1, 2, and 3 h/day. Co-digestion clearly outperformed mono-digestion, achieving higher methane yields (up to 223 L/kg VS), improved biodegradability (>90%), methane-rich biogas, and shorter digestion times (18 days). Intermittent stirring duration significantly influenced performance; moderate stirring (2 h/day) was optimal for most binary mixtures, while higher stirring (3 h/day) enhanced methane yield in balanced ternary systems. Optimized co-digestion could reach up to 7.96 MJ/kg VS despite increased mixing energy use. The statistical analyses revealed strong interrelationships among process variables, identifying stirring duration and digestion time as key drivers of methane yield and net energy production. Artificial neural network (ANN) modeling successfully predicted methane production and net energy based on C/N ratio, stirring rate, and waste composition. The optimal ANN showed high accuracy (R=0.99).

Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant renewable energy resource whose total energy content far exceeds current global demand. Its polysaccharides, cellulose, and hemicelluloses are primary targets for valorization; however, the recalcitrant structure of plant cell walls necessitates effective pretreatment. Among physical, physicochemical, chemical, and biological methods, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have emerged as an efficient and environmentally compatible chemical strategy. This review systematically evaluates nine major AOPs for lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment: Fenton and Fenton-like processes, alkaline H₂O₂, peracetic acid, persulfate, ozone, photocatalysis, electrochemical oxidation, wet air oxidation, and cavitation-assisted methods. For each, reaction mechanisms, advantages and limitations, recent advances, economic considerations, and scale-up challenges are discussed. Persulfate-based systems, wet air oxidation, and hybrid strategies (e.g., photo-Fenton, alkaline H₂O₂–cavitation, electrochemical–ozone–H₂O₂) are identified as particularly promising. Future research should prioritize novel catalyst development, reactor optimization, multi-mechanism integration, and rigorous techno-economic and life-cycle assessments. Coupling AOPs with renewable energy sources will be critical to improving energy efficiency and enabling cost-effective large-scale application.

To address the issue of insufficient desktop space in modern office and home environments, this study developed a side-mounted desktop organizer based on a pegboard. Comparative experiments on printing accuracy and mechanical performance were conducted using three commonly used 3D printing filaments in the market: polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). The results showed that among the X, Y, and Z directions, PLA specimens exhibited the smallest dimensional errors, PETG showed intermediate values, and ABS displayed the largest. In terms of tensile strength and elastic modulus, PLA specimens demonstrated the highest values, PETG ranked second, and ABS had the lowest. Therefore, PLA filament was selected as the printing material for the desktop organizer, and fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology was used to complete the 3D printing of the prototype. The 3D-printed desktop organizer features good surface quality and high assembly accuracy, effectively expanding the vertical storage space of the desk and enabling organized storage of small items, such as stationery and cables, demonstrating strong potential for application and promotion.

In the wood industry, warehouse layout decisions have a strong impact on production efficiency and workplace safety. This study presents a methodology that combines ERP-based historical movement data with measured process times to evaluate alternative warehouse layout versions. As a first step, products were grouped, their packaging and storage types were identified, and stock demand was calculated based on average and percentile values. A movement model was then used to assess layout options based on measured handling times and transport distances. Four layout versions were presented to the company management. For each version, the total daily net material handling time and required storage capacity were determined. The results showed that the originally planned block storage layout (V2) had a medium handling time and good feasibility but raised safety concerns. The V4 layout provided the most balanced option in terms of safety and capacity, while the finally selected V3 version—with a 4-meter aisle width—offered the lowest total handling time, which was a priority due to high production volume and fast warehouse servicing needs. This research demonstrates how can the Excel-based numerical modeling built on ERP data and process measurements, support warehouse layout decisions and improve operational performance and strategic planning.

Traditional furniture design relies heavily on designers’ prior knowledge and limited individual capacity, which often results in insufficient innovation capability and low product development efficiency. To overcome these limitations, this study introduces advanced Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) technology and proposes an integrated creative design and evaluation framework for new Chinese-style furniture that combines Stable Diffusion (SD) with the CRITIC–VIKOR method. The proposed method aims to enhance research and development efficiency and creativity while enabling a comprehensive assessment of generated furniture design alternatives. Specifically, the SD model within the AIGC technology is employed to train and generate innovative furniture design images. After identifying affective words that represents user needs, the CRITIC–VIKOR method is applied to calculate the objective weights of user needs and to conduct a multi-criteria evaluation of the creative schemes, thereby determining the optimal scheme. The proposed method effectively integrates the strengths of generative technologies and quantitative decision-making approaches. It facilitates the rapid generation of diverse creative concepts while systematically selecting the optimal scheme that best satisfies user requirements, thereby promoting the development of the furniture industry and fostering the inheritance and innovative advancement of traditional culture.