Industrial Wood Processing Research Articles

Produrre legname per l’edilizia aiutando la natura di montagna e l’economia nazionale

The use of timber in the construction sector plays two fundamental roles, both “downstream” and “upstream” of industrial wood processing. Downstream, the construction sector is responsible for 37% of global emissions, and the expansion of timber construction is rightly considered strategic as part of a decarbonization process, where the need to replace high-emission materials represents a competitive advantage for biomass products. It also enhances the quality of living spaces, as highlighted in the New European Bauhaus initiative. Upstream, the construction sector is privileged and therefore essential for providing an outlet for “Closer-to-Nature” forest management: without a market for high-quality timber from sustainably managed forests, the incentives for long-rotation seminatural forest management diminish. This second motivation is well recognised in the public procurement policies of many advanced countries and in those that promote the construction sector. These two roles are of fundamental importance but often neglected in Italian policies aimed at adding value to mountain forests.

Determination of biotechnological potential of poultry litter isolated bacteria

Poultry litter is composed of residues from industrial wood processing, serving as a bed for the animals. It has also been widely used as an agricultural biofertilizer, increasing its economic importance. Few studies report the microbiological composition of this material or its biotechnological potential, which was the objective of this study. The microbiological composition was obtained by 16sRNA genetic characterization, as well as, phosphate solubilization capacity, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, fungal antagonism, and enzymatic capacity. As a result, 67 isolates were obtained, of which 30 were taxonomically positioned and 27 were biochemically characterized. The microbiota genera consisted of Staphylococcus (17%), Brevibacillus (27%), Bacillus (37%), Mammaliicoccus (7%), Isoptericola, Microbacterium, and Oxalicibacterium (3.5% each). None of the isolates presented phosphate solubilization capacity. Regarding IAA production, UFPRCA19 showed the highest IAA content (16.60 µg.mg-1 protein). Eleven isolates were positive for antagonism with Aspergillus spp. and 25 for Trichoderma spp. Activity of proteases, caseinases, lipases, amylases, and cellulases were observed with the relative frequencies of 59%, 29%, 11%, 32%, 18%, and 21%. IAA and enzyme-producing bacteria as well as fungal antagonism were found among the isolates. Among all the isolated genera, Bacillus for synthesizing IAA and commercial enzymes becomes an interesting source for biotechnological purposes.

Enhanced paint adhesion of puffed wood-based metal composites via surface treatment with silane coupling agent

ABSTRACT Puffed wood-based metal composite (PWMC) is a lightweight metallic wood material with a high thermal conductivity, having a prospective application as wooden products. Coating with clear waterborne paints increases the grain visibility and prolongs color retention of PWMC, thus providing both decorative and protective functions. However, the poor film adhesion strength of clear waterborne paints limits their industrial wood processing applications. To obtain a better paint films performance, it is necessary to study the effect of silanization treatment on the PWMC’s surface wettability and chemical structures. In this paper, the surface free energy of the metal and wood areas of silane-treated PWMC (S-PWMC) respectively increased by 19.7% and 159.5%, indicating improved surface wettability. S-PWMC showed an improved paint film performance, with a hardness grade of H, paint film adhesion of level 0, and abrasion resistance of 0.04 g/100 r. The excellent paint film performance makes S-PWMC promising for use in wood furnishings.

Convolutional neural networks for real-time wood plank detection and defect segmentation

Background: Defect detection and segmentation on product surfaces in industry has become one of the most important steps in quality control. There are many sophisticated hardware and software tools used in the industry for this purpose. The need for the real-time classification and detection of defects in industrial quality control has become a crucial requirement. Most algorithms and deep neural network architectures require expensive hardware to perform inference in real-time. This necessitates the design of architectures that are light-weight and suitable for deployment in industrial environments. Methods: In this study, we introduce a novel method for detecting wood planks on a fast-moving conveyor and using a convolutional neural network (CNN) to segment surface defects in real-time. A backbone network is trained with a large-scale image dataset. A dataset of 5000 images is created with proper annotation of wood planks and defects. In addition, a data augmentation technique is employed to enhance the accuracy of the model. Furthermore, we examine both statistical and deep learning-based approaches to identify and separate defects using the latest methods. Results: Our plank detection method achieved an impressive mean average precision of 97% and 96% of global pixel accuracy for defect segmentation. This remarkable performance is made possible by the real-time processing capabilities of our system, which can run at 30 frames per second (FPS) without sacrificing accuracy. Conclusions: The results of our study demonstrate the potential of our method not only in industrial wood processing applications but also in other industries where materials undergo similar processes of defect detection and segmentation. By utilizing our method, these industries can expect to see improved efficiency, accuracy, and overall productivity.

A life cycle and product type based estimator for quantifying the carbon stored in wood products

BackgroundTimber harvesting and industrial wood processing laterally transfer the carbon stored in forest sectors to wood products creating a wood products carbon pool. The carbon stored in wood products is allocated to end-use wood products (e.g., paper, furniture), landfill, and charcoal. Wood products can store substantial amounts of carbon and contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse effects. Therefore, accurate accounts for the size of wood products carbon pools for different regions are essential to estimating the land-atmosphere carbon exchange by using the bottom-up approach of carbon stock change.ResultsTo quantify the carbon stored in wood products, we developed a state-of-the-art estimator (Wood Products Carbon Storage Estimator, WPsCS Estimator) that includes the wood products disposal, recycling, and waste wood decomposition processes. The wood products carbon pool in this estimator has three subpools: (1) end-use wood products, (2) landfill, and (3) charcoal carbon. In addition, it has a user-friendly interface, which can be used to easily parameterize and calibrate an estimation. To evaluate its performance, we applied this estimator to account for the carbon stored in wood products made from the timber harvested in Maine, USA, and the carbon storage of wood products consumed in the United States.ConclusionThe WPsCS Estimator can efficiently and easily quantify the carbon stored in harvested wood products for a given region over a specific period, which was demonstrated with two illustrative examples. In addition, WPsCS Estimator has a user-friendly interface, and all parameters can be easily modified.

Tailor-made alkaliphilic and thermostable fungal laccases for industrial wood processing

BackgroundDuring the kraft process to obtain cellulosic pulp from wood, most of the lignin is removed by high-temperature alkaline cooking, released in the black liquors and usually incinerated for energy. However, kraft lignins are a valuable source of phenolic compounds that can be valorized in new bio-based products. The aim of this work is to develop laccases capable of working under the extreme conditions of high temperature and pH, typical of the industrial conversion of wood into kraft pulp and fibreboard, in order to provide extremophilic biocatalysts for depolymerising kraft lignin, and enzyme-assisted technologies for kraft pulp and fibreboard production.ResultsThrough systematic enzyme engineering, combining enzyme-directed evolution and rational design, we changed the optimal pH of the laccase for oxidation of lignin phenols from acidic to basic, enhanced the catalytic activity at alkaline pH and increased the thermal tolerance of the enzyme by accumulating up to eight mutations in the protein sequence. The extremophilic laccase variants show maximum activity at 70 °C and oxidize kraft lignin at pH 10. Their integration into industrial-type processes saves energy and chemicals. As a pre-bleaching stage, the enzymes promote kraft pulp bleachability and significantly reduce the need for chlorine dioxide compared to the industrial sequence. Their application in wood chips during fibreboard production, facilitates the defibering stage, with less energy required.ConclusionsA set of new alkaliphilic and thermophilic fungal laccases has been developed to operate under the extreme conditions of high temperature and pH typical of industrial wood conversion processes. For the first time basidiomycete laccases of high-redox potential show activity on lignin-derived phenols and polymeric lignin at pH 10. Considering the extreme conditions of current industrial processes for kraft pulp and fibreboard production, the new tailor-made laccases constitute a step forward towards turning kraft pulp mills into biorefineries. Their use as biocatalysts in the wood conversion sector is expected to support the development of more environmentally sound and efficient processes, and more sustainable products.

Comparison of Compressive Strength and Wood Powder Absorption and Coffee Grade Aggregate With Uniform Grade

In Indonesia, there are many industrial wood processing factories that have a lot of waste or sawdust that has not been utilized. One solution to the utilization of sawdust waste is to use it as a construction material. Wood sawdust is waste obtained from the results of wood craftsmen who use machines or manually. Utilization of wood waste is now used as material for making cabinets and gardening. One solution to the utilization of sawdust waste is to use it as a construction building material. Food industry waste can cause problems in handling because it contains carbohydrates, proteins, fats, mineral salts and also chemical residues used in processing and cleaning. Waste that is increasing and piling up will smell and become a source of microbial development which in the end will also cause various kinds of diseases, so that food industry waste needs good handling. Coffee grounds are also food industry waste produced from processing coffee beans. As with other food industry waste, coffee grounds waste has the potential to be used as a substitute material for cement.

Activated biochars derived from wood biomass liquefaction residues for effective removal of hazardous hexavalent chromium from aquatic environments

AbstractResidues obtained after wood biomass liquefaction were used as precursors for the synthesis of two activated biochars. The source of biomass liquefaction constituted of industrial wood processing by‐products, including bark and wood sawdust. The liquefied residues were analyzed in terms of chemical components and structure. Carbonization under nitrogen atmosphere followed by physical CO2activation allowed to obtain microporous activated carbons with specific surface areas of 741 and 522 m2 g−1, and micropore volumes of 0.38 and 0.27 cm3 g−1, respectively. The obtained activated carbons were used to remove toxic hexavalent chromium from the aquatic environment. The observed sorption capacities were 80.6 mg g−1versus 36.7 mg g−1for wood bark‐derived and wood sawdust‐derived carbon, respectively, indicating a key role of the wood residue source in the effectiveness of Cr(VI) removal by resulting carbons. Despite the dominant microporous structure, the adsorption kinetics was surprisingly fast, especially for the bark‐derived carbon, since the adsorption equilibrium was reached within 2 h. The sorption mechanism of chromium was based on the carbon surface‐mediated reduction of toxic hexavalent form to its non‐toxic trivalent form, as confirmed by the X‐ray photoelectron analysis. Therefore, the residues from wood liquefaction can be easily converted into porous activated biocarbons capable of adsorbing significant amounts of hazardous Cr(VI) while reducing them to non‐toxic Cr(III).

Triboelectric charging of dust particles during hand-held circular sawing of wood and wood-based materials

ABSTRACT During machining, wood particles are generated, released, and accelerated at high speed. Wood dust is known to be unpleasant, causing technical problems, but bears also considerable health risks. Wood dust consists of fractured tissues and has a high, irregularly structured surface due to tiny hooks formed by abundant sticking out fibrillar fragments. Targeting at a novel approach for dust reduction, this communication investigates triboelectric charging of wood particles upon cutting of wood samples using a hand-guided miter saw. The impact of wood species, number of saw blade teeth, cutting direction, and wood moisture, on electric field strength levels and polarity of generated wood particles were measured, using a electrostatic detection apparatus. The generated wood particles have shown accumulated triboelectric charging, as indicated by electric field strengths, which varied between −4 and +10 V m−1. The intensity of the charge transfer was inversely proportional to the moisture content, especially when cut cross-sectionally. Highest field strengths were observed for beech, cut perpendicular to grain. Even though being a highly undesired effect, triboelectric charging of wood bears a novel opportunity for reducing the current dust burden in home and industrial wood processing environments, which is subject of ongoing and future research.

The The Industrial Colony of Belišće

Gutmann’s company became involved with industrial wood processing in the mid-19th century, due to the demand for railroad ties for the purpose of building a railway network in the post-revolutionary Habsburg Monarchy. In the wood processing business, the company would hold its steady place word for almost a century, until the Ustasha regime and then the Communist government put an end to its tradition. Its fate was finally sealed in 1946 by the District People’s Court in Zagreb. Belišće was founded in 1884 and within a few years acquired the form of an industrial settlement with factory facilities, warehouses, administrative buildings, cultural centres, and typical apartment buildings. By the end of the interwar period, Belišće had the population of a smaller urban settlement, with a post office serving a number of surrounding villages, factories, a port on the river Drava, and a railway network as a starting point in connecting Slavonia-Podravina with the foot of Mount Papuk in Voćin.Gutmann’s industrial plants, infrastructure and workers were the backbone of a successful family business, which consequently built the township of Belišće.

Influence of wood’s anatomical and resin traits on the radial permeability of the hybrid pine (Pinus elliottii × Pinus caribaea) wood in Australia

Wood permeability has a major effect on industrial wood processing and utilization. Wood anatomy and resin influence the permeability of wood. Understanding and manipulating these influences is important to optimize the manufacture and use of forest products. This study investigated the relationships between wood anatomical traits, radial permeability, and resin content of samples collected from 19-year-old hybrid pines (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii × Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis) from Queensland, Australia. The earlywood tracheid tangential lumen diameter and axial resin canal diameter were statistically positively correlated with radial permeability. The heartwood proportion and the frequency of axial resin canals were statistically negatively correlated with radial permeability and positively correlated with resin content. The axial resin canal diameter, sapwood proportion, latewood content, ray frequency, and earlywood tracheid lumen diameter increased from pith to bark, whereas the axial resin canal frequency decreased. Resin was found distributed throughout the wood microstructure, from pith to bark in many samples, and in both heartwood and sapwood. However, there was a much greater quantity of resin in heartwood and wood from the middle (inner radius) of the tree, with widespread occurrence of resin impregnation in the axial tracheids.

Развитиe лесоперерабатывающей промышленности в сибирском и дальневосточном федеральных округах: динамика, тенденции, проблемы

Развитиe лесоперерабатывающей промышленности в сибирском и дальневосточном федеральных округах: динамика, тенденции, проблемы

Determination of the Content Heavy Metals in of Introduced Tree Stand of Astana City

Nowadays, the importance of determining the numericalvaluation of environmental and genetic structure of populations of woody tree species in dealing with the introduction, without any doubt, is recognized by many researchers. The growing numbers of works associated with the introduction, examination of geographic cultures focused on the study of interspecific, inter- and intrapopulation, subpopulation genetic structure of quantitative and qualitative attributes which are important for forestry production and industrial wood processing. Heavy metals that were included in the scientific literature in the middle of the last century under such a negative name, at current stage already occupy the second place in the hazard level. In the future they might become the most hazardous or even more hazardous than APS and solid wastes. Contamination with heavy metals occurs due to their wide use in industry, causing them to fall into the environment bringing enormous damage. Human activity always brings to formation of numerous volumes of waste, including toxic. Industrial enterprises and large number of vehicles - obligatory accompaniments of urban environment are the major and permanent “suppliers” of toxic waste into the atmosphere. Under normal conditions, heavy metals are contained in soil in small quantities and are not hazardous. However, their concentration may increase due to vehicle exhaust, waste, residues and emissions during operation of industrial plants, during fertilize, etc.

Removal of the sesquiterpene β-caryophyllene from air via biofiltration: performance assessment and microbial community structure

Experiments were conducted in a laboratory-scale biofilter to assess the ability of a fixed-film biological process to treat an air stream containing β-caryophyllene, a sesquiterpene emitted by a variety of conifer trees as well as industrial wood processing operations. Treatment performance was evaluated under a variety of pollutant loading conditions and nutrient supply rates over an operational period lasting more than 240days. At empty bed contact times (EBCTs) as low as 10s and daily average pollutant loading rate as high as 24.2g C/(m(3)h) (grams pollutant measured as carbon per cubic meter packed bed volume per hour), removal efficiencies in excess of 95% were observed when sufficient nutrients were supplied. Results demonstrate that, as with biofilters treating other compounds, biofilters treating β-caryophyllene can experience local nutrient limitations that result in diminished performance. The biofilter successfully recovered high removal efficiency within a few days after resumption of pollutant loading following a 14-day interval of no contaminant loading. Construction of a 16S rRNA gene library via pyrosequencing revealed the presence of a high proportion of bacteria clustering within the genera Gordonia (39.7% of the library) and Rhodanobacter (37.6%). Other phylotypes detected at lower relative abundances included Pandoraea (6.2%), unclassified Acetobacteraceae (5.5%), Dyella (3.3%), unclassified Xanthomonadaceae (2.6%), Mycobacterium (1.8%), and Nocardia (0.6%). Collectively, results demonstrate that β-caryophyllene can be effectively removed from contaminated gas streams using biofilters.

Improving opportunities for smallholder timber planters in Vietnam to benefit from domestic wood processing

Since 1992, the Vietnamese Government has implemented far reaching policies and programs to increase the country's tree cover by promoting plantation forestry. In addition to providing environmental services, these efforts are intended to alleviate rural poverty through sustainable forestry. Towards this goal, more than 4 million ha have been assigned to households and rural cooperatives through forestland reallocation or management contracts. Although the extent of primary forest has continued to decrease, overall tree cover has increased by 47% since 1990, largely due to the spread of tree plantations. Meanwhile, in the last decade, with Vietnam's economic liberalisation policies, the timber processing industry has shifted from State-owned enterprises to private companies. By 2008, the processing sector had expanded into a $3 billion industry, one of Vietnam's top five export sectors and a major source of demand for logs and sawnwood. In 2010, an assessment in the industrial wood processing center of Binh Dinh province was conducted to gain insights on market opportunities for smallholder produced timber. The assessment revealed a number factors preventing local smallholders from fully capitalising on demand for wood from the processing industry. These included competition between the manufacturing sectors (e.g.furniture, woodchips and pulp industries), which creates an incentive for premature timber harvesting, and a lack of domestic supply of certified timber, resulting in Vietnam's furniture companies importing raw materials. To address the former, better segmentation of the wood production for the different sectors is recommended. The latter might be addressed through more aggressive efforts to certify household-scale timber plantations through simplified schemes such as the Forest Stewardship Council's Small and Low Intensity Managed Forests (SLIMF) certification, pending additional research to better understand the potential costs, benefits and risks of such a strategy.

Biocatalytic conversion of turpentine – a wood processing waste – into oxygenated monoterpenes

Three kinds of turpentine (a waste by-product of industrial wood processing) of various monoterpene compositions were transformed by Picea abies cells and the product yields monitored in relation to the initial turpentine concentration. The major products obtained were trans-verbenol, trans-pinocarveol, myrtenol, α-terpineol, and p-cymen-8-ol depending on the substrate composition. The absolute quantitative values of the major products were evaluated for a substrate concentration of 0.86 g L−1. The concentration of trans-verbenol and trans-pinocarveol after twelve days of biotransformation was 768 and 388 mg L−1, respectively. The substrate was uptaken by Picea abies cells within the first three days and the majority of products released in five days. Although not all the starting material was consumed, the Picea abies suspension culture was able to convert concentrations of turpentine as high as 4.3 g L−1 into valuable products. By precise selection of the substrate concentration and time course, favourable conversion to products could be achieved.

Markets for Biodiversity

Certification, or eco-labeling, is potentially a useful tool to stimulate the growth of ecosystem service markets. Certification guidelines, such as the Forest Stewardship Council's Principles and Criteria, offer landowners clearly defined approaches to biodiversity-friendly forest management while also emphasizing the profitability of sustainable forestry operations. In some cases for forest products, market access now requires products to carry certification labels. However, Panama's domestic demand for certified forest products is negligible. The combination of a lack of international market awareness of many of Panama's native tree species, a young plantation forestry industry, and virtually non-existent industrial wood processing capacity have kept Panama's forest products exports, including certified wood products, to a minimum. In summary, on both the supply and demand sides of the equation, a host of socio-cultural, institutional, and economic obstacles prevent landowners from pursuing certification programs for forest management and production of non-timber forest products. As a result, national and international markets for certified Panamanian forest products remain virtually unexplored business opportunities. To develop markets for certified forest products from Panama, a host of policy alternatives might be considered, including informational campaigns and extension programs for local landowners, incentive packages to defray initial costs of certification, and investments in international marketing campaigns coupled with investments in developing local manufacturing capacity and infrastructure.

Field Performance of the RespiConTMfor Size-Selective Sampling of Industrial Wood Processing Dust

The RespiConTMsampler is a multistage virtual impactor that simultaneously collects the ISO/CEN/ACGIH size fractions of inhalable, thoracic, and respirable particulate matter. The field performance of the device for measurement of industrial wood processing dust was evaluated against reference size-selective samplers: the IOM sampler (inhalable dust), the GK 2.69 cyclone (thoracic dust), and the SKC aluminum cyclone (respirable dust). Seventy-one sets of area samples were collected from 10 wood processing plants, with the samplers mounted either in the free-field or on a two-dimensional “bluff body.” The geometric mean (range) dust levels across all plants measured by the reference samplers were: inhalable, 1.35 mg/ m3(0.11–11.06); thoracic, 0.31 mg/m3(0.05–1.38); and respirable, 0.10 mg/m3(0.02–0.54). In comparing the RespiCon with the reference samplers, there was no significant difference between sampling in the free-field versus bluff-body modes. For inhalable dust, there was no significant difference between the RespiCon and the IOM sampler after applying a correction factor of 1.5× to the extrathoracic data obtained from the RespiCon. Without the correction factor, the RespiCon undersample inhalable dust by an average of 23%. For thoracic dust, the RespiCon was shown to oversample the extrathoracic dust fraction resulting in an overall error of 48%. A simple correction based on the inhalable and thoracic dust levels reported by the RespiCon is proposed. For respirable dust, there was a significant difference between the RespiCon and the SKC cyclone, but the data were equivocal due to imprecision in measurement of the low respirable dust concentrations encountered and the likelihood of bias in the reference sampler. Overall, the RespiCon sampler appears to be a suitable size-selective sampling device for industrial wood processing dust, although adjustments should be made to the inhalable and thoracic dust results.

Croatia

The main characteristics of the wood assortments sale are: a tendency of growth of quantity and a stagnation of value in the last three years, a growth of the share of sales on the basis of annual contracts and contracts lasting several years with domestic buyers, a growth of stacked wood export and problems with the collection of payments from domestic buyers. Industrial wood processing is the significant segment of Croatian economics. The basis of its development is the exploitation of domestic natural resources and traditionally it is export-oriented. To confirm the strategy and revitalisation of industrial wood processing, its characteristics are very important. The values of Croatian forests have been calculated on the basis of annual production of all forest goods and services. In the case of non-market values, the sheer existence of the forests has been taken into account and the flow of various services have been estimated based upon the actual state of forests, separated between its continental and Mediterranean part. It should be emphasised that there is the case of annual opportunity costs. Regarding the market values, the GDP for each group of goods and services has been monetarily estimated by means of the actual market prices which sometimes vary within the country.

On-filter determination of collected wood dust by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS)

A new analytical technique based on DRIFTS spectroscopy has been developed for the specific and sensitive determination of size-fractionated wood dust from 37 mm glass fiber filter samples collected with the Respicon sampler. A translational diffuse reflectance apparatus was modified to accept filter samples by incorporating a special filter holder in the sample stage and a clockwork motor to drive the translational stage during infrared scanning, thus providing an average analysis across the filter face. Filter samples were pre-treated with ethyl acetate to uniformly redeposit dust onto the filter and extract potential chemical interferences. Two absorbance maxima (1251 and 1291 cm(-1)), corresponding to the cellulose content of the wood, were suitable for quantitation of wood dust. Analysis of seven species of wood at 1291 cm(-1) showed an equivalent quantitative response for all species except maple. The response at 1251 cm(-1) was more variable across species but more sensitive for the softwoods. There was a statistically significant effect of particle size on the analytical response, so that analytical standards should be matched to the samples in terms of particle size distribution. Analytical limit of detection was approximately 0.08 mg of wood dust per sample with overall precision of about 6%. Comparison of DRIFTS and gravimetric analyses of 51 pure wood dust samples ranging from about 0.2 to 2 mg yielded a slope of 1.08 and r2 equal to 0.9. Other particulate contaminants common in the industrial wood processing industry showed little or no interference with the determination of wood dust by this method.