LayGrade: Design and fabrication of a layer-graded bio-based composite from wood waste

Demand for recycling product like plastics, papers, metals and alternativematerials will increase due to its numerous applications particularly on business. Recently analysis estimates that 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic has been made within the 65 years production of plastics began. Approximately 4.9 billion tons has already been terminated up in lowland or polluting the setting. This project research is to study the mechanical performance of tile based on plastic waste (PW) mixed with wood waste (WW). The objective is to evaluate the mechanical properties and to determine the optimum ratio of PW reinforced WW for tile application. In this study, there are four types of composites ratio of PW reinforced WW which are 1.0 PW:2.0 WW, 2.0 PW:2.0 WW, 3.0 PW:2.0 WW, and 4.0 PW:2.0 WW. The processes involved grinding, sizing and mixture process. Firstly, the PW and WW were grinded by using Grind Machine with the speed of 300 rpm. Then, the composition of PW and WW were mixed together with special resin by ratios into square aluminum tray with dimension of 26 cm×26 cm and thickness of 0.5 cm. The samples were cured for 48 hours at room temperature (27 °C). The maximum tensile strength was observed that the ration of 3.0 PW:2.0 WW loading produced the highest strength at 313.81 N. The bending test exhibited 2069.20 N for the ratio of 3.0 PW:2.0 WW. For impact test, 3.0 PW:2.0 WW can withstand the maximum stress at 1.67 kJ/m2. 3.0 PW:2.0 WW showed lower density of 1.070 g/cm3 and higher porosity value of 0.05%. It clearly shows that fiber matrix bonding PW:WW in distribution special resin form a strong adhesive bond at ratio of 3.0:2.0 with magnification of 10× by using Optical Microscopes Image. In conclusion, the composition ratio of PW:WW revealed that 3.0 ratio of PW reinforced with 2.0 ratio of WW produce optimum ratio for tile application.

Large amounts of different types of waste are generated each day in the world. Most of them do not receive proper management at the end of its useful life. In that sense, and trying to apply eco-efficiency criteria, the construction sector has recently been working on the design of new building materials that incorporate some types of residues. Those new construction materials improve some of the properties given by traditional options, such as thermal conductivity or lightness. However, many types of research in which new building products are generated do not exist. Subsequently, this paper aims at generating new gypsum plaster false ceiling plates by incorporating two different types of residues: wood waste from the demolition of traditional wooden slabs and polycarbonate (plastic) waste from crushed rejected CDs and DVDs. The flexural strength of the developed plates is tested using the procedure described by UNE-EN 14246. Furthermore, the thermal conductivity of the new pieces is obtained following the method defined by ASTM D5930-09. The results show that for all the scenarios under study when wood and plastic waste is added to the plates, the lightness and the thermal conductivity of the pieces improved. In addition, in some scenarios, the incorporation of polycarbonate waste is linked to an improvement in the mechanical behaviour of the pieces compared to the reference plate. On the other hand, when wood waste is added to the mixtures, the flexural behaviour of the plates decreases, but always achieving the minimum requirements made by the standards. Finally, it must be said that adding waste to the plasters, the amount of gypsum powder used to generate the plates decreases considerably, which represents a significant improvement in the eco-efficiency of new products.

Large amounts of waste are generated each day in the world, being a major concern for the EU28, who establish waste management as a priority line of work within the Horizon 2020. Construction sector is one of the largest residues generators. In that sense, architects and civil engineers should give an answer to solve that environmental problem. One of the options is to reuse waste for the generation of new materials and products for construction. In this research, wood waste (sawdust) from demolition works and polycarbonate waste have been used as aggregates to generate new gypsum plasters. Different percentages of additions (5, 10, 20 and 40%) for each type of waste have been conducted to develop the gypsum composites. Physical (density and thermal conductivity) and mechanical (flexural and compressive strength) properties of the new plasters have been measured using the procedure regulated by standards, comparing them with the reference material values (commercial gypsum without aggregates). The results of the tests show that lighter composites have been obtained when the percentage of waste increased for both type of aggregate. This lightening is higher in composites with wood waste than in those with plastic at the same percentage of addition. Furthermore, an improvement in the thermal conductivity of the plasters have been achieved. On the other hand, a decrease on the mechanical properties of the composites, with higher percentages of additions, have been obtained. For all the cases, the minimum strength value required by standards have been achieved. As a conclusion, lighter gypsum composites with enhanced thermal properties have been obtained, achieving in all the cases an acceptable flexural and compressive strength.

In this study, flexural properties, impact strength, thermal performance, water absorption, biological durability, and morphology of wood-plastic composites (WPCs) filled with different filler types were investigated. Six different formulations of WPCs were fabricated from mixtures of carpenter waste and recycled high-density polyethylene (R-HDPE). The carpenter waste was derived from wood and particle board wastes, and R-HDPE was used as the polymer matrix, with and without addition of maleic anhydrite grafted polyethylene (MAPE). All formulations were compression moulded in a hot press for 3 min at 170 °C. Investigations on the compression moulded specimens revealed that water absorption values in the particleboard waste flour specimens were lower than in the wood-waste flour WPCs. However, the wood-waste flour-filled composites exhibited higher mechanical property values than the particleboard waste flour WPCs. Statistically, only the wood-waste flour-filled composites with MAPE were significantly different. The use of MAPE (3 wt%) had a positive effect on the water absorption, crystallinity degree, and flexural properties of the WPCs. In addition, the peak temperatures of the composites did not show any variation, while thermal decomposition of the composites showed minor variations under the thermogravimetric analysis. Furthermore, the decay resistance of the composites improved with the use of particleboard waste flour. The obtained results demonstrate that particleboard waste flour, such as wood-waste flour, is potentially suitable as a raw material in WPCs.

Resource quality of wood waste: The importance of physical and chemical impurities in wood waste for recycling

Wood and wooden wastes potentially contaminated by radioactive cesium released by Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant have been reused for various purposes as wooden chips. The Ministry of the Environment indicated that the general disaster wastes including the wooden wastes were reusable with the criteria of total radioactive cesium (cesium-134 and cesium-137) concentration of 100 Bq/kg. The criteria were determined, based on the existing clearance level of concrete and metal generated at nuclear power plant and not on dose estimation for reuse of wooden chips. The purpose of this study is to confirm the validity of the criteria by the dose estimation approach. We investigated actual conditions og production and use for main five reuse purposes of wooden ships around Fukushima. On the basis of this investigation, exposure pathways and parameters for workers and public involved with the reuse of wooden chips were selected. We calculated dose for the exposure pathways and evaluated radioactive concentrations of wooden chips corresponding to dose criteria for safety reuse of radioactive materials. From the calculation result, all radioactive concentrations corresponding to the dose criteria are more than the reuse criteria of 100 Bq/kg, which ensures the validity of the criteria for the safety of present reuse of wood and wooden wastes.

This research wants to examine how the management of the creation of works of art made from organic waste (wood and marine biota) in Jaring Halus Village, North Sumatra. The method used in this study was the method of creation with an experimental model by utilizing waste as a model for creating works of art. The research was conducted in Jaring Halus Village, Langkat, North Sumatra. The stages in this research begin with identifying internal and external potentials. The internal potential is the location and organic waste such as waste wood and marine biota and the like. Furthermore, the external potential was the community's ability to explore the aesthetic power of waste to become an expression of works of art; in this case, presentations and design workshops are held through design simulations and references. The next step was selecting the quality of the waste wood, which includes elements of shape, structure, texture, and size. Based on the results of the research conducted, it can be concluded that some of the research findings are as follows: 1) the steps taken include: Planning, Mapping of waste locations, Mapping types of waste in categories, Understanding design as a material for creating works of art, Process of assembling forms works of art, the process of refining, the Process of presenting works of art. 2). In managing the creation of works of art by utilizing organic waste (wood and marine biota), we have produced several new prototypes of works of art made from organic waste. 3) Using creative methods based on adaptive and connotative patterns greatly encourages the creation of more significant and productive works of art.

Recovery and reuse of bulk waste wood are particularly challenging because of usage defects and contaminations. Here, we present a robust and efficient strategy for regenerating used wood veneers into high-performance structural materials through micro/nano interface manipulation. Our approach involves using cellulose-based interlayers to bind together two waste wood plates without an external adhesive by partially dissolving and regenerating the interlayer using a solution of ionic liquids and dimethyl sulfoxide. The mechanical properties of the regenerated wood exceed that of natural wood, displaying over a 16 and 20 times increase in transverse tensile strength and modulus, respectively, and 4-6 times improvement in longitudinal tensile strength and modulus. Nanoscale mechanical analyses show that the improvement is possible as a result of several factors, including the robust network structure of the interlayer, the good adhesion at the wood-interlayer interface, the compacted wood structure, and the low stiffness and deformation gradients between the interlayer and the wood structure. The interlayers can be created from waste papers and wood particles by taking advantage of the nanofibrillar structure of cellulose.

The morphology and mechanical properties of reconstituted wood board waste-polyethylene composites were studied using virgin polyethylene (PE) and 2 wt% maleic anhydride (MA) modified polyethylene (MAPE) as matrices. Although the wood waste (WW) and PE are not compatible with each other, dynamic mechanical analyses (DMA) show considerable shifting in the α-transition temperature and crystallisation temperature (T c) of PE in the unmodified composites, indicating physical interaction between PE and WW. The increase in crystallinity with increasing WW content up to 50 wt% indicates that WW is a potential nucleating agent for PE. However, the tensile strength of the unmodified composites gradually decreases with WW content, indicating that the improvement in interface adhesion is essential for WW to be used as reinforcing fillers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) results indicate that MAPE interacts with WW through esterification and hydrogen bonding to form good adhesion between the two phases. Inward shifting in glass transition temperature (T g) for the MAPE-based composites containing less than 60 wt% WW indicates that WW and MAPE are partially compatible with each other. SEM micrographs of MAPE-based composites provide further evidence for this mechanism. The tensile strength of the MAPE-based composites is clearly higher than that of the virgin PE-based composites.

Furniture wood wastes: Experimental property characterisation and burning tests

Valorization of hydrophobic wood waste in concrete mixtures: Investigating the micro and macro relations

This chapter highlights the concern on wood waste utilization regarding on environment and economic evaluation. Wood waste is the part of the effluents that can comprise discarded wood, whole trees, stumps, or clipped branches. Wood waste is also derived from downstream (sawmills) to furniture, boards, and moldings. Forest waste (waste from deforestation) and residues from wood processing plants are also two types of wood waste associated with sawmill operations. Wood waste can be decreased without negatively impacting the world’s forests by improving the productivity of primary wood consumption and using raw wood resources produced from sustainable forest management [1–5]. Due to the defects in the felled trees, the production of sawn timber is considered wasted. Only about 47% of the logs that reach the sawmill are converted into salable timber. The remaining residue containing 33% wood chips, 7% sawdust, 8% shavings, and 5% bark should be discarded or otherwise used [6]. The timber industry is an important industry in Malaysia. At the same time, the timber industry has a significant impact on the environment in general (air, water, and soil) and in particular on land and resource management. So, we must give emphasis to the solution. For example, the adoption of cleaner technology and waste minimization (Krajnc and Domac in Energy Policy 35:6010–6020, 2007). The main factors of environmental degradation are recognized as: The vast amount of waste generated from wood processing operations in many countries presents challenging opportunities for utilizing wood waste. Consequently, the timber sector is anticipated to see both timber costs and waste disposal costs rise. Subsequently, wood waste is it is anticipated that wood waste will gradually become a valuable resource. Wood waste is a sustainable, inexpensive, and widely accessible source of energy that has the potential to replace fossil fuels in a variety of uses, made up of heat, power, and biofuels. The expanded use of agricultural biomass can aid agriculturally based countries in achieving energy security and providing jobs without contributing to environmental damage [1, 4, 7, 8].

Energy and climate impact assessment of waste wood recovery in Switzerland

Anaerobic digestion is widely employed to process various organic wastes while generating renewable energy and nutrient-rich digestate. However, lignocellulosic wastes, especially wood waste, suffer from the recalcitrance associated with high lignin content, thereby adversely impacting on biogas production. It remains unclear whether wood waste is suitable as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion and to what extent pretreatment techniques could affect its biochemical methane potential. In this paper, 769 datasets on methane production from wood waste were collected for meta-analysis. The results showed an average 146 % increase in methane production for other organic wastes compared to wood waste when pretreatment techniques were not applied, but this gap could be mitigated to 99 % when pretreatment techniques were considered, indicating that pretreatment techniques could be more effective for wood waste. A further analysis of different pretreatment techniques showed that pretreatment significantly increased the methane production of wood waste by 113 % and that a combination of pretreatment techniques was more effective than a single method. Finally, three machine learning algorithms were applied to explore the relationship between methane production and selected variables. The results showed that the random forest method yielded better predictive performance for methane production (R2 = 0.9643) than artificial neural networks and support vector regression. Feature importance analysis found that particle size had a higher influence than temperature or feedstock composition. Overall, this study gives insight into the potential of utilizing wood waste as a feedstock for anaerobic digestion and the importance of employing suitable pretreatment methods. This work also reveals correlations between methane production and critical variables, which could serve as a guide for optimizing operational adjustments during anaerobic digestion.

This paper presents the findings of a study conducted to evaluate the potential effect of bio-asphalt from corn and wood waste on the rheological properties of styrene–butadiene–styrene/rubber composite-polymer modified asphalt. Results showed that bio-asphalt from corn contained significantly high amount of oxygen (62%), whereas petroleum-based asphalt only contained trace amounts of oxygen (0.91%). The average molecular weight, total rings per average molecule, naphthenic carbon rate, and aromaticity of bio-asphalt from corn were smaller than that of petroleum-based asphalt. Meanwhile the characteristics of bio-asphalt from wood waste were similar to that of petroleum-based asphalt, yet the molecular size and polarity of bio-asphalt were slightly lower. For workability, the addition of bio-asphalt decreases the viscosities of composite-polymer modified asphalt. Samples with bio-asphalt from wood waste presented higher viscosity than that with bio-asphalt from corn at the same added amount. A suitable amount (15%) of bio-asphalt showed the best anti-rutting properties under all conditions owing to bio-asphalt can function as light oil to swell polymer or act as a lubricant to limit the intermolecular interactions. Moreover, the addition of bio-asphalt from corn increased the anti-cracking property, whereas the increasing degree of adding bio-asphalt from wood waste were not obvious. The m-values of samples with bio-asphalt from wood waste were also smaller than that of samples added with bio-asphalt from corn. The stiffness of modified asphalt with bio-asphalt from wood waste decreased with an added amount of less than 15% and increased when the bio-asphalt amount exceeded 15%. Samples with bio-asphalt from wood waste also provided better durability and storage stability than that with bio-asphalt from corn. Therefore, bio-asphalt from wood waste was more suitable to represent petroleum-based asphalt partly than bio-asphalt from corn.