Balsa Wood Research Articles

FeP nanoparticle embedded in N,P-doped 3D porous wood-derived carbon aerogel for oxygen reduction reaction

Metal-air batteries require the exploration of affordable electrocatalysts with exceptional catalytic performance for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR). One of the powerful ways to develop highly active and robust oxygen electrocatalysts is to load transition metal compounds onto a highly porous carbon aerogel. Here, we report a cell wall nanoengineering strategy to transform natural balsa wood into a wood-derived carbon aerogel (WCA), following by loading FeP nanoparticles inside the hierarchical N, P-doped WCA for ORR electrocatalysts. Wood nanotechnology is applied to manipulate the microstructure of the porous carbon aerogel with low-tortuosity, multichannel, and aligned pore, which benefits to the electron transportation for boosting the ORR. Under 0.1 M KOH conditions, the initial potential, half wave potential and limit current of FeP@N,P-WCA are 0.95 V, 0.84 V, and 5.20 mA cm−2 respectively, which are much higher than that of untreated wood and comparable to commercial Pt/C. The aqueous Zn-air batteries assembled with this catalyst exhibit a remarkable specific capacity of 775.5 mA h g−1 and better charge-discharge cycling stability. The excellent electrocatalytic activity demonstrated by FeP@N,P-WCA for ORR is attributed to the inherent tri-pathway (lumen, pit, and ray cell) porous structure of wood, the high conductivity and specific surface area of WCA (584.2 m2 g−1), and the highly dispersed FeP nanoparticles. This work provides a structural design concept for achieving high electrocatalytic biobased WCA reactors by combining wood nanotechnology and electrocatalysts chemistry for energy storage and conversion.

Numerical Modelling of the Hydrodynamic Performance of Biodegradable Drifting Fish Aggregating Devices in Currents

Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) are essential supplementary structures used in tropical tuna purse-seine fishing. They are strategically placed to attract tuna species and enhance fishing productivity. The hydrodynamic performance of FADs has a direct effect on their structural and environmental safety in the harsh marine environment. Conventional FADs are composed of materials that do not break down naturally, leading to the accumulation of waste in the ocean and potential negative effects on marine ecosystems. Therefore, this work aimed to examine the hydrodynamic performance of biodegradable drifting FADs (Bio-DFADs) in oceanic currents by numerical modelling. The Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equation was used to solve the flow field and discretized based on the realizable k-ε turbulence model, employing the finite volume method. A set of Bio-DFADs was developed to assess the hydrodynamic performance under varying current velocities and attack angles, as well as different balsa wood diameters and sinker weights. The results indicated that the relative current velocity significantly affected the relative velocity of Bio-DFADs. The relative length of the raft significantly affected both the relative velocity and the relative wetted area in a pure stream. Finally, the diameter of the balsa wood affected the drift velocity, and the sinker’s relative weight affected the hydrodynamic performance of the Bio-DFADs.

Salt-resistant hierarchically porous wood sponge coated with graphene flake/polyaniline nanocomposite for interfacial solar steam production and wastewater treatment

This research presents an innovative approach for developing a flexible wood sponge (WS) with a hierarchically porous structure. This unique structure is achieved through a sequential process involving balsa wood delignification, freeze-drying, and subsequent coating with graphene flake (GF)/polyaniline (PANI) nanocomposite. The resulting GF/PANI nanocomposite significantly reduces electron transfer resistivity, thereby enhancing heat generation for water evaporation. This results in self-cleaning photoabsorber, benefiting from GF’s salt-rejecting properties, PANI’s ionic network, and the WS’s porous structure. The photoabsorber demonstrates improved mechanical strength, reduced thermal conductivity, and a single water route design atop a drilled insulator foam, effectively minimizing heat loss during solar desalination. Under 1 sun (1 sun = 1 kW m−2) illumination, the photoabsorber achieves an impressive evaporation flux of 1.49 kg m−2h−1 and a high solar to thermal efficiency of 95.51 %. Importantly, continuous 10-cycle testing under 1 sun illumination reveals no salt deposition on the surface. Furthermore, the photoabsorber demonstrates promising applications in wastewater treatment, effectively purifying dye-contaminated seawater and desalinating both acidic and alkaline seawater. The investigation into the GF/PANI nanocomposite’s effect on steam generation, conducted through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in a 0.5 M Na2SO4 electrolyte, reveals enhanced interfacial charge transfer, surpassing both PANI and GF due to reduced electrochemical resistance. Evaluation of desalinated seawater and purified wastewater demonstrates a significant decrease in major cation concentrations, meeting WHO and EPA drinking water standards. These findings underscore the potential of the GF/PANI nanocomposite in superior steam generation applications.

KOH Activated Carbon Coated 3D Wood Solar Evaporator with Highest Water Transport Height and Evaporation Rate for Clean Water Production.

The water evaporation rate of 3D solar evaporator heavily relies on the water transport height of the evaporator. In this work, a 3D solar evaporator featuring a soil capillary-like structure is designed by surface coating native balsa wood using potassium hydroxide activated carbon (KAC). This KAC-coated wood evaporator can transport water up to 32cm, surpassing that of native wood by ≈8 times. Moreover, under 1kWm-2 solar radiation without wind, the KAC-coated wood evaporator exhibits a remarkable water evaporation rate of 25.3kgm-2h-1, ranking among the highest compared with other reported evaporators. The exceptional water transport capabilities of the KAC-coated wood should be attributed to the black and hydrophilic KAC film, which creates a porous network resembling a soil capillary structure to facilitate efficient water transport. In the porous network of coated KAC film, the small internal pores play a pivotal role in achieving rapid capillary condensation, while the larger interstitial channels store condensed water, further promoting water transport up more and micropore capillary condensation. Moreover, this innovative design demonstrates efficacy in retarding phenol from wastewater through absorption onto the coated KAC film, thus presenting a new avenue for high-efficiency clean water production.

The Petiole of the Miriti Palm: A sustainable material for wind turbine blades?

The Miriti Palm (Mauritia flexuosa) grows abundantly in the Amazon Region of Brazil. The petiole (PMP) that supports the leaves, has a density of about one-half of Balsa wood (BW), which is used in the manufacture of wind turbine blades. A further possible advantage of PMP is that harvesting does not kill the palm tree, in contrast to the harvesting of BW. Because the mechanical properties of PMP have not been measured, we determined the shear and tensile properties of 16 samples of PMP and BW to allow a preliminary assessment of PMP as a possible material for blades. The absolute shear and tensile strengths for BW are higher, but specific properties (normalized by the density) are similar and can favour PMP. Direct substitution of BW by PMP would reduce the weight of a typical large blade by around 2%.

In situ pretreatment of wood samples with deep eutectic solvents for enhanced lignin removal and enzymatic Saccharification efficiency optimization

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are commonly utilized as an effective pretreatment method for biomass materials, particularly for enhancing the value of lignocellulosic biomass. However, to the best of our knowledge, the utilization of DESs for in situ pretreatment of wood samples has been seldom reported. In this study, the ability of five DESs systems to in-situ pretreatment of balsa wood samples was investigated. Among of them, the Choline Chloride-Ethylene Glycol-P-Toluenesulfonic Acid (ChCl-EG-PTSA) system showing an excellent lignin removal rate (the lignin removal of 87.34 % and cellulose retention of 86.32 %), which is significantly better than the delignification effect of the traditional acid chlorite method (lignin removal of 72,13 % and cellulose retention of 64.57 %). In addition, in the subsequent enzymatic saccharification experiments, after the wood samples were pretreated in situ by the ChCl-EG-PTSA system, the enzymatic saccharification yield of cellulose reached 75.46 %, and the enzymatic saccharification yield of xylose reached 92 %. At the same time, this study also used SEM, FTIR, XPS, TGA and other testing technologies to conduct detailed analysis and characterization of the pretreated samples. This comprehensive analysis unequivocally demonstrated the viability of the ChCl-EG-PTSA system as an environmentally sustainable and efficient approach for pretreating forest biomass. Significantly, this in-situ wood pretreatment strategy significantly lays a robust research groundwork for the development of multifunctional wood fiber composites in subsequent stages.

All‐In‐One Self‐Floating Wood‐Based Solar‐Thermal Evaporators for Simultaneous Solar Steam Generation and Catalytic Degradation

AbstractSolar‐driven steam generation has emerged as a sustainable technology for addressing freshwater scarcity. However, significant challenges still exist in developing high‐performance, multifunctional evaporators that are adept at both efficiently evaporating water and degrading pollutants, primarily because of the trade‐offs among functional designs. Here, a self‐floating solar evaporator is reported by functionalizing balsa wood with solar‐thermal conversion material carbon nanotubes and catalytic manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoflowers for simultaneous solar evaporation and pollutant degradation. MnO2 nanoflowers are rich in oxygen vacancies that can effectively activate peroxymonosulfate to generate reactive oxygen species for efficient organic pollutant degradation. A distinctive non‐wetted porous interior structure and a precisely targeted water pathway are spontaneously established in the multifunctional evaporator, ensuring fast water supply, thermal insulation, efficient mass transfer, and high buoyancy. The resulting evaporators successfully combine an impressive evaporation rate of 2.74 kg m−2 h−1, a high pollutant degradation efficiency (98.3% for 100 mg L−1 tetracycline and 97.4% for 200 mg L−1 Methyl orange), and stable self‐floating and self‐standing capabilities that ensure long‐term operation stability even in complex real‐world environments. This work provides an approach to design multifunctional solar evaporators, ensuring strong alignment with practical requirements while expanding their potential application scenarios.

Wood sponge with photothermal, magnetically driven, and superhydrophobic characteristics for high-viscosity oil–water separation

In this work, naturally degradable porous balsa wood was used as a raw material to prepare a highly elastic wood sponge (WS) substrate using a two-step chemical method and a freeze-drying method. The surface hydrophobic modification of Fe3O4 nanoparticles using the fluorine-free material octadecyltrimethoxysilane (C18TMS) solved the problem of agglomeration caused by the high nanoparticle surface energy. Polydopamine (PDA), hydrophobically modified Fe3O4 (C18TMS/Fe3O4), and low-surface-energy polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were sprayed onto WS substrates using a simple spraying method. An environmentally friendly adsorption sponge with photothermal, magnetically driven, and superhydrophobic properties was prepared for the first time using this method. The prepared sponge had a water droplet contact angle of 156.8° and exhibited excellent oil–water separation performances. Due to the addition of PDA and Fe3O4, the modified sponge exhibited excellent photothermal performance, rapidly heating to 63.4°C under a sunlight intensity of 1 kW m−2. The superhydrophobic WS prepared in this experiment provides a more environmentally friendly and low-cost way for high viscosity oil–water separation and targeted removal of oil pollution.

Highly Mechanical Strength, Flexible and Stretchable Wood-Based Elastomers without Chemical Cross-Linking

Wood exhibits a limited elastic deformation capacity under external forces due to its small range of elastic limit, which restricts its widespread use as an elastic material. This study presents the development of a stretchable wood-based elastomer (SWE) that is highly mechanical and flexible, achieved without the use of chemical cross-linking. Balsa wood was utilized as a raw material, which was chemically pretreated to remove the majority of the lignin and create a more abundant pore structure, while exposing the active hydroxyl groups on the cellulose surface. The polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution was impregnated into delignified wood, resulting in the formation of a cross-linked structure through multiple freeze–thaw cycles. After eight cycles, the tensile strength in the longitudinal direction reached up to 25.68 MPa with a strain of ~463%. This excellent mechanical strength is superior to that of most wood-based elastomers reported to date. The SWE can also perform complex deformations such as winding and knotting, and SWE soaked in salt solution exhibits excellent sensing characteristics and can be used to detect human finger bending. Stretchable wood-based elastomers with high mechanical strength and toughness have potential future applications in biomedicine, flexible electronics, and other fields.

Seed permeability: an essential trait for classifying seed dormancy type

Abstract Seed dormancy in plants can have a significant impact on their ecology. Recent work by Rojas-Villa and Quijano-Abril (2023) classified the seed dormancy class in 14 plant species from the Andean forests of Colombia by using germination trials and several microscopy techniques to describe seed anatomy and morphology. The authors conclude that Cecropia species have both physical and physiological dormancy (of which they call physiophysical dormancy) based on seed morphology and mean germination times of over 30 days. Here, we present seed permeability and germination data from neotropical pioneer tree species: Ochroma pyramidale, Cecropia longipes, and Cecropia insignis, as well as Cecropia peltata (present in Rojas-Villa and Quijano-Abril, 2023), to demonstrate that Cecropia species do not exhibit dormancy and also have high levels of seed permeability. We find that the mean germination time for all three Cecropia species in our study was less than 30 days. This suggests a need for reporting the conditions in which germination trials take place to allow for comparability among studies and using seed permeability tests to accurately identify the physical dormancy class of seeds. Further, we present data from the literature that suggests that dormancy is not a requirement for seed persistence in the seed bank.

ANALISIS KEKUATAN STRUKTUR PADA SAYAP MORPHING UAV MENIRU PESAWAT CESSNA 172

Nowadays, UAVs are widely used in various sectors including military, agricultural, social and other fields. There are two types of UAV control, the first uses remote control or remote control and the second the aircraft is flown independently or on autopilot. The results of the MBKM research at the Yogyakarta College of Aerospace Technology campus in 2022 resulted in several shortcomings, including having a heavier mass than a UAV wing made from balsa wood with a weight difference of 874 grams and another problem, namely that the wing's straight geometric shape will cause more resistance. so big that it needs to be changed to a morphing wing. Based on the shape of the wing and the problems, the researchers tried to correct these deficiencies by forming a new geometry. The design of this research uses CFD and FEA methods to determine deformation and pressure values. With research results. Pressure distribution on the wing surface using CFD simulation displays contour velocity and contour pressure. For contour pressure, use a velocity of 21 m/s, 22 m/s, 23 m/s, 24 m/s, 25 m/s which flows through the front of the airfoil. At a speed of 21 m/s the maximum value is 26.89 m/s, then if the speed increases then the maximum value will also increase. At a speed of 25 m/s the maximum value is 32.03 m/s. At a speed of 21 m/s the maximum value of deformation is 0.33164 mm, at a speed of 22 m/s the maximum value of deformation is 0.3515 mm, at a speed of 23 m/s the maximum value of deformation is 0.37107 mm, at a speed of 24 m/s the maximum value of deformation is 0.55469 mm, and at a speed of 25 m/s the maximum value of deformation is 0.56883 mm.

The effect of span length on the flexural properties of glass and basalt fiber reinforced sandwich structures with balsa wood core for sustainable shipbuilding

The current research aims to analyze the mechanical characterization of sandwich materials through a three-point flexural test. The sandwich structures in question composed of balsa wood as a core and four different types of fiber reinforced vinyl ester composite facesheets, namely Glass, Basalt, Glass/Carbon, and Basalt/Carbon. The sandwich panels were prepared using the vacuum infused processing method. The primary objective of this investigation is to explore the feasibility of utilizing basalt fibers for the production of structural parts in shipbuilding and replacing the already existed glass fibers. The flexural test was carried out with using three-point flexural test with varying the span length from 120 mm, 180 mm, 220 mm. Additionally, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was then carried out to compare the mean values of properties deduced from these tests. The results showed that using basalt fibers instead of glass fiber reinforced enhanced the flexural stiffness of the sandwich structure. The flexural strength and modulus are shown to depend on span length and fiber type. The flexural modulus increases with an increase in span length. Similarly, flexural strength increases in glass fiber-based structures, while a slight reduction is observed in basalt fiber-reinforced structures the larger span length. The findings of this research suggest that basalt fibers hold potential as a replacement for glass fibers in producing structural components in shipbuilding. These results offer valuable information that can aid in the design and optimization of sandwich materials in shipbuilding.

A systematic approach to obtain optimized low-cost balsa wood structure subjected to the effects of uncertainties: A FEM approach

A systematic approach to obtain optimized low-cost balsa wood structure subjected to the effects of uncertainties: A FEM approach

Impact of drops of epoxy resin and hardener, silicone and turpentine oils onto balsa wood and polypropylene substrates

Electrowetting and wettability-driven spreading of liquids on porous and nonporous substrates was investigated using impact of drops of epoxy resin, epoxy hardener, and epoxy resin and hardener, as well as silicone and turpentine oils with oil-soluble aniline dyes onto balsa wood and polypropylene surfaces. The experimental results revealed that the electric field stretched drops of epoxy resin, epoxy hardener, and epoxy resin and hardener after impact on polypropylene substrate in the long-term. The spreading of drops of epoxy resin and turpentine oil with dyes after impact onto porous balsa wood under the action of a 10 kV applied voltage was relatively weak. In addition, the measured footprint areas corresponding to drops of epoxy resin, epoxy hardener, and epoxy resin and hardener demonstrated a significant increase in the wetted areas driven by the applied voltage of 10 kV on polypropylene substrate, whereas on balsa wood, the footprint is practically unaffected by the electric field. Furthermore, it was determined that surface wettability was the main mechanism of spreading of epoxy resin, as well as silicone and turpentine oils with aniline dyes on porous balsa without the electric field applied. On the other hand, insufficient concentration of ions and counterions in silicone oil was responsible for the absence of electrohydrodynamic effects after impact of such drops onto porous balsa substrate subjected to high potentials of 7 and 10 kV. Hence, wettability-driven spreading with imbibition on balsa wood was the only reason for an increase in the wetted area in the case of silicone oil.

ZIF-8/balsa wood derived N-doped porous carbon as self-supporting electro-Fenton cathode for efficient antibiotics degradation

Efficient electrochemical advanced oxidation processes (EAOPs) based on carbon catalysts are highly promising candidates for green environmental remediation technologies. Wood derived N-doped porous carbon (WNPC) was prepared the balsa wood with in-situ growth of zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) was used as precursor. WNPC acted as self-supporting electric Fenton cathode with high yield and selectivity (96 %) of in-situ H2O2 generation, which effectively avoided the use binder for powder material. Owing to abundant N-doping and oxygen functional groups, the H2O2 yield of WNPC was three times that of balsa wood derived carbon (WC) in electro-Fenton system. The graphite-N promoted the electron transfer, while the pyridinic-N could enhance the selectivity of the 2e-ORR for H2O2 generation. Furthermore, the specific surface area of WNPC was 10 times of WC, with improved hydrophilicity and accelerated electron transfer. The removal efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) achieved 91 % within 120 min in electro-Fenton system with WNPC and Fe2+, which was much higher than that with WC (63 %). Free radical scavenging and electron paramagnetic resonance experiments confirmed that ·OH and O2–· were the main active substances for TC degradation in electro-Fenton system. In addition, WNPC has good stability, reusability, and comparable degradation performance of various organic pollutants, and also had efficient degradation performance with actual water. This research proposed a novel strategy to construct efficient electro-Fenton catalyst with wood as precursor, which provides an advancing electrocatalytic methods to achieve efficient and environmentally conscious water purification.

Radiative cooling performance analysis of cooling wood with three delignification processes for building applications

The delignification process is essential in the preparation of radiative cooling wood, and optimizing the delignification process is crucial for achieving a balance in the optical, mechanical, and thermal insulation characteristics of the delignify wood. Using the orthogonal experimental method, the study explored the influence of different delignification processes (such as chlorite, sulfite, and hydrogen peroxide methods), treatment duration, temperature, and other factors on wood weight loss rate, infrared spectroscopy, tensile and flexural strength, thermal conductivity, reflectance, and emissivity in order to obtain the best delignification process parameters for preparing radiative cooling wood with the optimal overall performance. The experimental results showed that delignification treatment followed by hot pressing improved the mechanical properties of the wood. As the delignification temperature and duration increased, the wood weight loss rate also increased, the mechanical properties declined, and the thermal insulating properties improved. The comprehensive comparison revealed that using the hydrogen peroxide method with treatment temperature at 80 °C and lasting 4 h can achieve the best overall performance for radiative cooling wood. Compared with Balsa wood, the tensile strength increased by 4.2 times and the flexural strength by 2.3 times, while the thermal conductivity reached 0.08 W/mK. In outdoor experiments, this radiative cooling wood can attain a good cooling effect throughout the day. During the noon hours, its surface temperature was lower than that of cement and the ambient temperature by 11.4℃ and 4.4℃ respectively, and the net radiative cooling power was up to 46 W/m2. The results show broad prospects for its application in building insulation and energy saving.

By the force of decay: A green strategy to fabricate white rot fungal degraded wood for sustainable oil/water separation

Two species of white rot fungi, Coriolus versicolor（Cv）and Fomes fomentarius (Ff), were successfully applied to selectively degrade lignin of balsa wood, which caused weight loss of 15.66% and 9.66% respectively. Subsequently, the remained wood template was impregnated with 1 wt% cuprous oxide modified phenol formaldehyde resin and 4.8 wt% Stearic acid (STA, C17H35COOH), which was endowed with superhydrophobicity, high oil absorption capacity and filtration efficiency up to 8.97 g/g and 95% respectively. It was first time discovered that the absorption capacity of as prepared wood was not decreased but improved with the increase of the recycle times. Characterized by absorption efficiency of chloroform increased from the initial 5.69–8.97 g/g after 84 times repeat oil absorption process. While, the filtration efficiency for chloroform remains above 95% even after 84 cycles. Furthermore, the as modified balsa wood performed desirable photocatalytic degradation efficiency toward methylene blue (MB) more than 95% even after 84 cycles, this multifunctional aspect enhances the material's applicability for various environmental remediation purposes. This work proposed a novel, green and facile strategy to fabricate sustainable oil/water separation material, which has potential to be applied to oil/water separation industry.

Technical note: Radiological clinical equivalence for phantom materials in carbon ion therapy.

As carbon ion radiotherapy increases in use, there are limited phantom materials for heterogeneous or anthropomorphic phantom measurements. This work characterized the radiological clinical equivalence of several phantom materials in a therapeutic carbon ion beam. Eight materials were tested for radiological material-equivalence in a carbon ion beam. The materials were computed tomography (CT)-scanned to obtain Hounsfield unit (HU) values, then irradiated in a monoenergetic carbon ion beam to determine relative linear stopping power (RLSP). The corresponding HU and RLSP for each phantom material were compared to clinical carbon ion calibration curves. For absorbed dose comparison, ion chamber measurements were made in the center of a carbon ion spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) in water and in the phantom material, evaluating whether the material perturbed the absorbed dose measurement beyond what was predicted by the HU-RLSP relationship. Polyethylene, solid water (Gammex and Sun Nuclear), Blue Water (Standard Imaging), and Techtron HPV had measured RLSP values that agreed within ±4.2% of RLSP values predicted by the clinical calibration curve. Measured RLSP for acrylic was 7.2% different from predicted. The agreement for balsa wood and cork varied between samples. Ion chamber measurements in the phantom materials were within 0.1% of ion chamber measurements in water for most materials (solid water, Blue Water, polyethylene, and acrylic), and within 1.9% for the rest of the materials (balsa wood, cork, and Techtron HPV). Several phantom materials (Blue Water, polyethylene, solid water [Gammex and Sun Nuclear], and Techtron HPV) are suitable for heterogeneous phantom measurements for carbon ion therapy. Low density materials should be carefully characterized due to inconsistencies between samples.

All Wood‐Based Water Evaporation‐Induced Electricity Generator

AbstractWater evaporation‐induced electricity generators (WEIGs) are promising as self‐powered electronic devices, as they can harvest green, small‐grade, and ubiquitous hydrovoltaic energy in ambient environment to electricity. Here, biodegradable wood‐based WEIGs with high performance are reported by removing lignin and hemicellulose from balsa wood (BW) with more exposed cellulose nanofibrils. Delignified BW (DBW) and cellulosic BW (CBW) display significant enhance in open circuit potential (Voc) and short circuit current (Isc) due to increased specific surface area, hydrophilicity, and surface charge density. The electricity‐generating performance of CBW‐based WEIG (CBWG) is not stable due to its structural collapse. DBW‐based WEIG (DBWG) shows a steady electricity output and fast responsivity to ambient environments, such as humidity, temperature, light, and wind. Therefore, DBWGs can be employed as self‐powered environmental sensors. The effects of different kinds of electrolytes with varied concentrations on the performance of DBWG are also studied. The DBWG (40 mm × 40 mm × 2 mm) displays a Voc of 0.77 V and Isc of 148 µA in 1.2 m CaCl2 solution. In this study, all wood‐based sustainable WEIGs with high electricity generating performance are facilely prepared and are promising for remote self‐powered environmental sensors and power sources.

Effect of partial delignification and densification on chemical, morphological, and mechanical properties‏ of wood: Structural property evolution

Efforts have been dedicated to developing sustainable alternatives for conventional construction materials, resulting in the development of densified wood as an innovative, environmentally friendly, and high-performance material. This study focuses on investigating the effects of treatment parameters (e.g., partial delignification boiling time, chemical concentrations, and hot-pressing pressures) on the chemical, morphological, and mechanical properties of the densified wood. Results revealed that the partial delignification process of low-density Balsa wood reduced lignin content by 50–80%, which enhanced the crystallinity of the wood by 21–54%. However, prolonged periods of partial delignification caused a degradation in the crystalline regions in wood. The modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) of the densified wood samples increased by 90–680% and 10–810% compared with those of the raw wood samples, respectively. The MOR of the densified wood also showed a dependency on lignin content and porosity. An optimal lignin content of approximately 10% was associated with the highest MOR in densified wood. Moreover, the relationship between the MOR and porosity suggested that the MOR improvement occurred in two stages. The first stage of MOR improvement is controlled by the reduction in the porosity and the second stage is controlled by the improved hydrogen bonding among cellulose nanofibrils.