Volume 4 Issue 4

Composite materials and wooden dowels are being used increasingly in the construction of furniture frames and inner decoration. Yet there is little information available concerning the withdrawal strength of various fasteners, and, in particular, dowels in composite materials edged solid wood edge bandings. The aim of this study was to determine the withdrawal strengths of 6, 8, 10 mm diameter dowels produced from beech with respect to edge of a medium-density fiberboard (MDF) or particleboard (PB) edged with 5, 10 and 15 mm thickness of solid wood edge banding of uludag fir, bonded with different adhesives. According to TS 4539 standard, the effects of edge banding thickness, dimension of dowels, type of composite materials and type of adhesives used for edge banding on the withdrawal strength were determined. The highest (6.37 N/mm²) withdrawal strength was obtained in beech dowels with 8 mm diameter for MDF with 5 mm thickness of solid wood edge banding of uludag fir bonded with D-VTKA adhesive. According to results, if the hole wall and the surface of dowel are smooth then the adhesives give better mechanical adhesion with dowels and composite materials.

Laccases (benzenediol:oxygen oxidoreductase, EC 1.10.3.2) are multi-copper oxidases that are widely distributed among plants, insects, and fungi. They have been described in different genera of ascomycetes, some deuteromycetes, and mainly in basidiomycetes. These enzymes catalyze the one-electron oxidation of a wide variety of organic and inorganic substrates, including mono-, di-, and polyphenols, aminophenols, methoxyphenols, aromatic amines, and ascorbate, with the concomitant four electron reduction of oxygen to water. Laccase is currently the focus of much attention because of its diverse applications, such as delignification of lignocellulosics, crosslinking of polysaccha-rides, bioremediation applications, such as waste detoxification, and textile dye transformation, food technologic uses, personal and medical care applications, and biosensor and analytical applications. This review helps to understand the properties of this important enzyme for efficient utilization for its biotechnological and environmental applications.

In the future liquid biofuels will need to be renewable, sustainable, as well as technically and economically viable. This paper provides an overview of the challenges that the biochemical production of cellulosic ethanol process still faces. The main emphasis of the paper is on challenges that emerge from the scale of liquid biofuel production. These challenges include raw material availability, other consumables, and side stream handling. The pretreatment, C5 fermentation, and concentration of sugars in processing need improvements, too. Sustainability issues and greenhouse gas reduction also pose a challenge for implementation and require development of internationally recognized sustainability principles and standards, and certification of sustainable operation. Economics of cellulosic ethanol processes are still also an area under development and debate. Yet, the Energy Independence and Security Act mandate together with the European Union Renewable Energy Directive and other local targets are driving the development and implementation forward towards more significant contribution of biofuels in the transportation sector.

For over 2000 years the manual craft of papermaking has been practiced all over the world utilizing a variety of techniques. This review describes the evolution of hand papermaking and its cultural significance. Paper’s evolution has been shaped by the structure and chemical composition of the fibers. Almost every aspect of modern papermaking technology has been foreshadowed by traditional practices. Such practices were passed down for many generations within families of papermakers. The main sources of cellulosic fiber evolved as the ancient craft migrated from its birthplace in China to Korea and Japan, the Islamic world, and then to Europe and America. Though most paper made today comes from automated, continuous production systems, handmade paper has enjoyed a resurgence, both as a traditional craft and as an art-form. In addition, traditional papermaking methods can provide insights to help in modern applications involving cellulosic fibers.