Volume 7 Issue 2

Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) panels made from poplar (Populus ussuriensis Kom.) and birch (Betula platyphylla Suk.) veneers were tested for mechanical properties. The effects of the on the (MOE) and modulus of rupture () of the LVL with vertical load testing were investigated. Three analytical methods were used: composite material mechanics, computer simulation, and static testing. The reliability of the different LVL assembly patterns was assessed using the method of Monte-Carlo. The results showed that the theoretical and ANSYS analysis results of the LVL MOE and MOR were very close to those of the static test results, and the largest proportional error was not greater than 5%. The veneer amount was the same, but the strength and reliability of the LVL made of birch veneers on the top and bottom was much more than the LVL made of poplar veneers. Good assembly patterns can improve the utility value of wood.

TEMPO-mediated oxidation has been reported to effectively convert C6 primary hydroxyl groups to carboxyl groups for better water-solubility. However, the pH decreases continuously during the oxidation process, and it is therefore difficult to maintain the stability of the reaction. The control of pH at a constant level throughout the oxidation process is a complicated task. The applicability of a carbonate buffer system and a borax buffer system with various continuous addition rate of sodium hypochlorite solution was considered. Carbonate buffer solution and borax buffer solution can efficiently buffer the pH. The results of carboxyl content and DP of celluloses proved that the activities of sodium hypochlorite solution can be maintained when sodium hypochlorite is added with controlled flow rates without adjusting pH by hydrochloric acid. Buffer solutions created a milder reaction environment in which the damage of celluloses would be buffered. The conclusion was consistent with DP tests of celluloses. Compared with carbonate buffer, the borax buffer with high ability of penetration could enhance the depth and width of oxidation, which was demonstrated by the results of X-ray diffraction patterns and carboxyl content of celluloses.

Kenaf-derived cellulose (KDC)-filled poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites were prepared via melt blending and compression molding to improve the properties of PLA by introducing a natural cellulose that was chemically derived (chlorination and mercerization processes) from plant-based kenaf bast fibers. The effect of KDC content (0-60 wt.%) on the tensile elongation at the break point and during flexural and impact testing and on the water absorption and density of the composites was investigated, while the neat PLA polymer (without the addition of cellulose) served as a reference for the composites. The elongation at the break point of the composites was 9% on average, making it less elastic than the neat PLA. The flexural strength and modulus also increased by 36% and 54%, respectively. The impact strength of the composites was improved at KDC contents below 40 wt.%, but the impact strength was reduced above 40 wt.%. The composite containing the highest amount of KDC (60 wt.%) was denser than the neat PLA and had a water uptake of approximately 12%, which is notably low for a biocomposite system.

Biosorption of dyes by lignocelluloses may be an effective method for removing dyes from textile effluents. However, the resulting dye-adsorbed lignocellulosic materials may constitute another pollution problem. An integrated method can solve this problem. Here, various lignocelluloses were tested for their Astrazon Black and Astrazon Blue dyes removal activities. The dye adsorbed after 30 min contact time was 90% (45 mg/L), 70% (35 mg/L), and 98% (49 mg/L) for wheat bran, pine cone, and cotton stalk, respectively. These dye-adsorbed lignocellulosic wastes then were used as solid substrates to produce laccase enzyme with Funalia trogii and Trametes versicolor under solid state fermentation (SSF). Among the lignocellulosic substrates, the dye-adsorbed wheat bran served as the best solid substrate for laccase production under SSF. Therefore, it was also tested as a solid source for laccase production under submerged fermentation. During solid state fermentation, these two fungi were able to highly decolorize these dyes. While F. trogii decolorized 80% of Astrazon Black dye adsorbed onto wheat bran, T. versicolor decolorized 86%. On the other hand, the decolorization values for Astrazon Blue dye were 69% and 84%, respectively.

Today, petroleum-based superabsorbents are widely used, but interest in renewable alternatives is on the rise. This study presents two wood-based absorbent materials suitable for various absorption applications as an alternative to petroleum-based products. Never-dried bleached kraft pulp was treated with TEMPO-oxidation, and new carboxylate and aldehyde groups were introduced. It was found that the aldehyde groups contributed to the wet integrity of the absorbent materials, possibly by the formation of hemiacetal bonds. After oxidation, the pulp fibers were gradually disintegrated, and size analysis showed that the disintegration rate was enhanced by an increase in the charge of the oxidant. Freeze drying produced a porous foam with a large surface area that enabled a rapid absorption rate as well as a reasonably high absorption capacity even for absorption under load. Air drying formed a compact film with a slow absorption rate but with a high final capacity for absorption.

Laboratory-scale agglomeration experiments followed by image analysis were used to evaluate the effectiveness of different cationic surfactants on the 1-octadecanol agglomeration of a negatively charged laser toner. Various types of surfactants with different geometric structures were investigated. It was found that this toner became agglomerated under neutral pulping conditions, but it did not agglomerate under alkaline conditions at all. A small amount of the cationic surfactant compensated for the agglomeration disruption caused by the negative surface charge of the toner and made this toner agglomerate very well. These cationic surfactants consist of a chemical structure of C12 to C18 saturated alkyl hydrophobic chains. The positive charge of these surfactants played the major role in alleviating agglomeration disruption. Additionally, an extra phenol group on these surfactants contributed only minor advantages for toner agglomeration in the presence of 1-octadecanol. The best co-agglomeration performance occurred within a very narrow range of similar total positive charge densities based on the total toner weight. It was also found that this positive charge effect could not be applied to the chemical compounds of high molecular weight polymeric materials.

Cationized birch xylan was prepared and its use as a papermaking chemical was evaluated. The focus was on studying the effects of cationized birch xylan on the wet and dry strength of fine paper. The results of the laboratory experiments show that the addition of 3 percent of cationized birch xylan to birch kraft pulp improved the initial wet strength of the web by 30 percent compared to base stock at a solids content of 55%. Furthermore, the tensile stiffness of the wet web increased by approximately a third and the dry tensile strength improved by 26%, while the dry elastic modulus was not changed. The improvements in the strength properties were clear when compared to the base stock, but not as high as achieved with conventionally used cationized starch. The difference between the xylan and starch is most likely due to the shorter polymer chain length of the cationized xylan.

The morphological changes of jack pine (Pinus banksiama) earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) in thermomechanical pulping (TMP) were studied by light microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy. The results indicate that: under the mechanical forces in refining, the EW fibres tend to separate in the P/S1 interface, while separation of the LW fibres takes place commonly in the P/S1 and S1/S2 regions. The thick-walled LW fibres exhibit much more external fibrillation than the thin-walled EW. As a result, the LW fines contain more fibrillar component than EW fines. The EW fibers suffer more fiber cutting and splitting than the LW fibers. In addition, the thin-walled EW fibres show higher collapsibility and conformability than the LW counterparts.

Desorption and adsorption cycles result in dimensional changes of wood. The shrinkage and swelling of wood components are accompanied by the forming and breaking of bonds at sorption sites of water molecules. These processes may lead to some reorganization of the wood ultrastructure. The traditionally applied crystallographic descriptors, i.e. the mean microfibril angle and crystallinity, are unable to quantify such ultrastructural changes. The crystallographic texture analysis was performed to account for the reorganization of wood ultrastructure during the cyclic sorption. The Orientation Distribution Function (ODF) was separately calculated for the selected sorption cycles. Inverse pole figures, texture index, crystalline volume fraction, and integrated skeleton lines of the ODF made a set of crystallographic descriptors used to study the ultrastructural changes within this study. The registered reorganization of the ultrastructure was manifested in changes of the intensities of the individual texture components, including the disappearance of some components. However, the texture index, being the global measure of the crystallographic texture, was practically constant during the cycling sorption.

The paper industry has taken various steps to address environmental concerns and raw material limitations. Among them, paper recycling has been shown to be a viable option. In this study, the alkaline sulfite pulping of old corrugated containers (OCC) to produce bleachable pulp was investigated. A combination of one of the three active alkali levels (14, 16, and 18%; Na2O, and oven-dry weight of OCC); one of two pulping temperatures (145 and 175ºC), and one of two pulping times (60 and 120 minutes) and sodium sulfite to sodium hydroxide ratio of 30/70 (mol/mol) were examined. After preliminary pulping and evaluation, pulp with a kappa number of 18.3 and brightness of 50.2%, which was produced applying 18% active alkali, sodium sulfite to sodium hydroxide ratio of 30:70, and pulping time and temperature of 120 minutes and 175ºC, respectively, having the yield of 64.0% (based on oven dry weight of washed OCC) and 72.7% (based on original weight of the OCC as received), respectively, was selected for totally chlorine free (TCF) bleaching trials. Brightness, opacity, tensile, and tear strength indices of this pulp were measured as 50.2%, 81.4%, 27.7 N.m/g, and 12.35 mN.m2/g, respectively. Bleaching of this pulp applying 3% H2O2 and 2.25% NaOH at 90 minutes generated bleached pulp with brightness and opacity as 57.1% and 78.2%, respectively. The bleaching yield was measured as 92%. Tensile and tear strength indices of this pulp were measured as 25.1 Nm/g and 12.4 mN.m2/g, respectively.