Abstract Transparent wood is a promising sustainable alternative to glass, yet its large-scale production is often constrained by harsh chemical delignification, poor polymer compatibility, and limited interfacial control. This study introduces a solvent-free strategy for enhancing the optical and mechanical properties of transparent balsa wood through volumetric plasma modification using Atmospheric Discharge with Runaway Electrons (ADRE). The plasma treatment generates fast electrons capable of activating the entire wood volume, forming oxygen-containing functional groups that improve surface energy and polymer affinity. Morphological analyses (optical microscopy and SEM) revealed that plasma-treated samples exhibit homogeneous resin infiltration and the elimination of interfacial voids observed in untreated transparent wood. FTIR spectra confirmed the introduction of polar carbonyl and hydroxy groups, indicating enhanced chemical interaction between cellulose and the acrylic matrix. Consequently, the plasma-treated transparent wood achieved a visible light transmittance of 91% at 550 nm and reduced haze by 11% compared to non-treated samples. Mechanically, the plasma-treated transparent wood exhibited the highest bending strength in three-point bending tests (89.6 MPa), outperforming non-treated transparent wood (84.5 MPa) and raw wood (41.4 MPa), while partially modified wood showed the lowest strength. Hardness also increased from 83.3 to 86.7 Shore D after plasma activation, corroborating the improved interfacial adhesion and structural integrity. This solvent-free plasma activation approach replicates the interfacial benefits of chemical acetylation without toxic reagents or lengthy processing, providing a scalable and environmentally benign route toward high-performance, optically clear, and mechanically robust cellulose-based composites.

Abstract This study investigated the drying characteristics, mass transfer behavior, and predictive modeling of bacterial cellulose (BC) under different drying temperatures. The initial moisture content of BC was determined as 99.17 ± 0.07% (wet basis), and drying was carried out until a final moisture content of 0.004 g water g⁻ 1 d.m. was reached. Results showed that increasing the drying temperature accelerated the drying rate and reduced drying time, with drying completed in 60 min at 50 °C, 38 min at 60 °C, and 30 min at 70 °C. Higher temperatures also enhanced effective moisture diffusivity, mass transfer coefficients, and drying capacity, confirming that both internal and external resistances govern BC drying. Mathematical modeling of drying curves was performed using several thin-layer models. Among them, the Weibull model exhibited the best fit, with the lowest χ 2 (0.00048561–0.0132192) and RMSE (0.01958–0.108) values and the highest R 2 (0.9975–0.9992), outperforming the Page, Midilli and Kucuk, and Parabolic models. In addition, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) modeling provided superior predictive performance, achieving very low error values (RMSE: 0.001936035–0.016680348) and high correlation coefficients (R 2 : 0.9990–0.9999), without signs of overfitting. These findings highlight ANN as a reliable tool for precise prediction of drying kinetics compared to conventional mathematical models. Overall, this research demonstrates that optimizing drying temperature and employing advanced modeling techniques can significantly improve the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of BC drying processes. The outcomes provide a scientific basis for industrial applications of BC in food, biomedical, and pharmaceutical fields, while suggesting future research on hybrid drying technologies and energy-efficient approaches.

Abstract This study describes a simple process for synthesizing thiazole reactive dispersing dyes. A variety of spectroscopic techniques were used to characterize each of the produced azo compounds. The polyester/cotton blend fabrics were dyed to examine the dyeing capabilities and color spectrum of the dyestuffs. The color representation, and colorimetric data (L*, a*, b*, C*, H*, K/S) were all established. We assessed the fastness properties in terms of light, washing, rubbing, and perspiration fastness. The synthetic dyes exhibited excellent exhaustion (80–89%) and fixation (77–87%) values. The dyes were effective at dyeing blend fabrics, producing results that were satisfactory in terms of colorimetric data and fastness characteristics. The resultant dyes have good brightness, depth, and leveling properties and create a variety of hues. Furthermore, the UV protection factor of the synthesized dyes was assessed; the results demonstrated that these dyes offer excellent ultraviolet protective factor (UPF) rating (48.87–55.12). The antibacterial activity against dissimilar bacteria and fungi was also tested in-vitro, allowing for their practical application in a variety of therapeutic scenarios. In addition, the experimental data aligned with the molecular docking findings, which indicated that compound 4a inhibited bacterial DNA gyrase with a binding score of −6.48 kcal/mol. In conclusion, the synthesized compound 4a could be used as a potent antimicrobial agent with a high bioavailability and safety profile in medical applications. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the recent synthetic dyes have good potential in the textile dyeing industry and can be further advanced.

Abstract Kaolinite is clay used in various industries that forms turbid dispersions and disrupts aquatic ecosystems if not separated from process waters before discharge. Conventional coagulation chemicals, such as alum and polyacrylamides could be used to improve separation, but they contain long-term risks to human health and the environment. In this study, we show that cellulose dissolved in aqueous sodium hydroxide can be used to increase the particle size and the settling rate of kaolinite suspension. The effect is further enhanced when the cellulose solution is used together with magnesium chloride. Response surface models were made to evaluate the effect of cellulose and magnesium chloride doses on kaolin suspension turbidity after 10 min and after 20 h of settling. An effective dose was determined and a 0.5 wt% kaolinite suspension with initial turbidity of 3200 NTU was treated with 20 ppm of dissolved cellulose and 0.5 mM of magnesium chloride to achieve turbidity of 7.3 NTU after 2 min of settling and 4.7 NTU after 10 min of settling. Additionally, it was shown that the cellulose solution largely retains its ability to flocculate the kaolin suspension in saline waters at least up to 0.5 M of sodium chloride content. These results could have applications especially in industries where both kaolinite and cellulose are present, such as pulp and paper industry.