Untreated Pine Research Articles

A novel seawater hydrothermal-deep eutectic solvent pretreatment enhances the production of fermentable sugars and tailored lignin nanospheres from Pinus massoniana

Lignocellulose biorefinery depended on effective pretreatment strategies is of great significance for solving the current global crisis of ecosystem and energy security. This study proposes a novel approach combining seawater hydrothermal pretreatment (SHP) and microwave-assisted deep eutectic solvent (MD) pretreatment to achieve an effective fractionation of Pinus massoniana into high value-added products. The results indicated that complex ions (Mg2+, Ca2+, and Cl−) in natural seawater served as Lewis acids and dramatically promoted the depolymerization of mannose and xylan into oligosaccharides with 40.17 % and 75.43 % yields, respectively. Subsequent MD treatment realized a rapid and effective lignin fractionation (~90 %) while retaining cellulose. As a result, the integrated pretreatment yielded ~85 % of enzymatic glucose, indicating an eightfold increase compared with untreated pine. Because of the increased hydrophobicity induced by the formation of acyl groups during MD treatment, uniform lignin nanospheres were successfully recovered from the DES. It exhibited low dispersibility (PDI = 2.23), small molecular weight (1889 g/mol), and excellent oxidation resistance (RSI = 5.94), demonstrating promising applications in functional materials. The mechanism of lignin depolymerization was comprehensively elucidated via FTIR, 2D-HSQC NMR, and GPC analyses. Overall, this study provides a novel and environmentally friendly strategy for lignocellulose biorefinery and lignin valorization.

An Engineered Laccase from Fomitiporia mediterranea Accelerates Lignocellulose Degradation.

Laccases from white-rot fungi catalyze lignin depolymerization, a critical first step to upgrading lignin to valuable biodiesel fuels and chemicals. In this study, a wildtype laccase from the basidiomycete Fomitiporia mediterranea (Fom_lac) and a variant engineered to have a carbohydrate-binding module (Fom_CBM) were studied for their ability to catalyze cleavage of β-O-4' ether and C-C bonds in phenolic and non-phenolic lignin dimers using a nanostructure-initiator mass spectrometry-based assay. Fom_lac and Fom_CBM catalyze β-O-4' ether and C-C bond breaking, with higher activity under acidic conditions (pH < 6). The potential of Fom_lac and Fom_CBM to enhance saccharification yields from untreated and ionic liquid pretreated pine was also investigated. Adding Fom_CBM to mixtures of cellulases and hemicellulases improved sugar yields by 140% on untreated pine and 32% on cholinium lysinate pretreated pine when compared to the inclusion of Fom_lac to the same mixtures. Adding either Fom_lac or Fom_CBM to mixtures of cellulases and hemicellulases effectively accelerates enzymatic hydrolysis, demonstrating its potential applications for lignocellulose valorization. We postulate that additional increases in sugar yields for the Fom_CBM enzyme mixtures were due to Fom_CBM being brought more proximal to lignin through binding to either cellulose or lignin itself.

Preparation, characterisation and properties of green composites from Pinus roxburghii fibre

Pinus roxburghii needles are plentiful in the Himalayas and may be processed into a natural fibre. In this research, polylactic acid composites were made, including both untreated and treated Pinus roxburghii fibres as reinforcing materials. The Pinus roxburghii fibres were produced by subjecting the Pinus roxburghii needle to an alkali treatment with a 5% sodium hydroxide solution in water, and the Pinus roxburghii fibres were obtained by a water retting extraction method. Pinus roxburghii fibre–polylactic acid composites were made using a compression moulding process. Composites were fabricated utilizing treated and untreated Pinus roxburghii fibre with fibre loadings of 20%, 30%, and 40% by weight. Subsequently, the investigators examined the alterations in the tensile, flexural, impact, and morphological properties with sodium hydroxide treatment. As expected, alkaline treatment considerably boosted the compatibility between Pinus roxburghii fibre and polylactic acid, leading to improvements in the morphological, hardness, and mechanical characteristics of Pinus roxburghii fibre composites. In addition, when 30 wt.% of treated fibres were used, the mechanical characteristics improved.

Investigate on the physical and mechanical properties of wood-polymer composition materials made on the premise of neighborhood wood flours

This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of obtaining wood-polymer composites, which focus on materials that are difficult to recycle. For this purpose, local poplar and pavloniya wood samples, the density of which corresponds to this process, were impregnated with polyvinyl chloride and CaCO3, which form free radicals. Samples were taken using a hot press. Physico-mechanical parameters of the samples were analyzed. Due to the low permeability of the poplar wood showed only increasing values of stiffness parallel and perpendicular to the grain. Undebarked ponderosa pine chips were treated by hot water extraction to modify the chemical composition. In the treated pine (TP), the mass was reduced by approximately 20%, and the extract was composed mainly of degradation products of hemicelluloses. Wood flour produced from TP and unextracted chips (untreated pine, UP) was blended with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) and was extruded into wood plastic composites (WPCs).

Enhancing mechanical properties of waste expanded polystyrene composites through varied coupling agents and wood powder formulations

This study investigates Wood Plastic Composites (WPCs) by incorporating waste Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and various wood powder reinforcements. The mechanical properties of WPCs play a pivotal role in sustainable material development. Our research delves into the effects of different treatments on wood powders and their interactions with the polymer matrix.Pine, teak, and silk tree wood powders underwent alkali immersion and coupling agent treatments. The ensuing composites underwent rigorous testing, including flexural strength, hardness, and impact resistance assessments.The findings underline the complex factors governing WPC mechanical properties. Pine-based WPCs, reinforced with pine wood powder and subjected to alkali treatment, exhibited the highest flexural strength at 29.56 MPa, whereas the lowest flexural strength of 14.65 MPa was observed in WPCs reinforced with alkali-treated teak wood powder. The highest impact strength quantified at 2.54 kJ/cm², was found in untreated pine wood powder-based WPC. In contrast, the lowest impact strength was identified in teak wood powder-based WPC treated with alkali.

Biowaste valorization on pharmaceuticals and pesticides abatement in aqueous environments

This study focuses on the abatement of pharmaceuticals and pesticides in water using sustainable biosorbents. Adsorption kinetics and equilibrium measurements were performed to characterize the adsorption of fluoxetine hydrochloride (FLX), carbamazepine (CRB) and atrazine (ATZ) by raw pine bark. The amount of adsorbed pollutants by mass of adsorbent followed the order: FLX (0.652 mg/g) > ATZ (0.522 mg/g) > CRB (0.144 mg/g), explained by the different interactions between the untreated pine surface and the target pollutants, according to the adsorption mechanism proposed. The evaluation of chemically and thermically modified pine was also assessed. In terms of the overall entrapment capability, pine bark modified with HNO3 was shown to be the best biosorbent (1.95 mg/g). The economic feasibility of the biosorbents was evaluated through a detailed cost analysis. Among the performed modifications, the one with H2O2 was the most expensive procedure, 23.7 €/mmol (pollutants mixture) being the hydrochar production the less expensive, 1.1 €/mmol. Through desorption assays it was found that 100% of FLX, 98% of CRB and 30% of ATZ, respectively, can be recovered from raw pine, using 50% (v/v) acetonitrile solution. The recyclability of the natural biosorbent was evaluated by adsorption-desorption cycles. Pine bark can be regenerated and reused at least for two times, without losing its adsorption efficiency. A pre-pilot air-lift type reactor was investigated as an effective rehabilitation approach to treat contaminated water, for up-scale purpose. Using biowastes for emerging pollutants entrapment can be considered a sustainable water rehabilitation pathway, promoting a circular bioeconomy and environmental protection.

Adsorption of Hexavalent Chromium Ions Using Pine Sawdust Cellulose Fibres

In developing countries, agriculture generates not only income but also waste. Therefore, it is essential to recycle this waste for different purposes. This study explored an affordable way to modify pine sawdust to treat chromium-containing wastewater, with successful outcomes. The biosorbent’s surface area was enhanced through pretreatment steps, including NaOH treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis for cellulose fibre extraction. SEM–EDS, TEM, and XRD were used to study the chemical composition and morphology. XRD measurements also revealed a rise in the sizes of crystallites. FTIR results revealed shifts in bands (-OH), (-C-H), and (-COOH), suggesting their involvement in Cr (VI) ion adsorption. TGA/DTA indicated enhanced thermal stability for cellulose extracted from pine sawdust compared to untreated pine sawdust. The adsorption parameters for Cr (VI) ions were investigated through mass, pH, stirring time, and temperature studies. The optimal Cr (VI) adsorption conditions were 2.0 g mass, pH 6, 90 min stirring, 100 mg/L concentration, and 313 K temperature. The adsorption of Cr (VI) ions was best-fit to the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 = 0.9991, kL = 0.09). Pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2 = 0.9999) provided the best description for Cr (VI) biosorption on cellulose fibres (CF). The analysis results confirmed the isotherm and kinetics models. The negative thermodynamic parameters (ΔG° and ΔH°) indicated that the uptake of Cr (VI) ions on the adsorbent was exothermic and spontaneous.

The non-enzymatic browning of pine bark during thermal treatment: Color and chemical changes, color kinetics and insights into mechanisms

Thermal treatment is an essential modification method for agroforestry biomass, and it causes the most intuitive change in agroforestry biomass, a color change. But there is still a lack of color change mechanism due to the complexity of the thermal behavior. In this work, Masson pine bark was thermally treated at 80–200 °C for 3–9 h. The monosaccharide compositions of untreated pine bark and the content of cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, total phenolic, and total sugar during thermal treatment were determined to investigate the substrates and pathways triggering non-enzymatic browning reactions. UPLC-HESI-MS/MS, TG, SEM, FTIR, XRD, and color analysis were performed to track the association between chemical changes, color changes and pyrolysis properties. The results showed that the colorimetric parameters L*, a*, and b* values decreased with temperature and time, while ΔE* values increased. The color changes in L*, a*, and b* values were well described by the combined color kinetic model, with corresponding zero-order activation energies of 8.06 kJ/mol, 2.79 kJ/mol, and 3.5 kJ/mol and first-order activation energies of 11.45 kJ/mol, 18.55 kJ/mol, and 18.66 kJ/mol, respectively. And the predictive ability of the combined color kinetic model and the reliability of kinetic parameters was verified at an extended temperature of 220 °C. Furthermore, chemical changes confirmed that the formation of colored compounds (such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, furfural, and (+)-Procyanidin B2) by the non-enzymatic browning reactions and the degradation of the colored polymers existed in thermal treatment. Together, insights into the non-enzymatic browning reaction mechanisms and color kinetics provided a scientific basis for controlling color quality and valorized application of agroforestry wastes.

Preparation of activated carbon from pine (Pinus radiata) sawdust by chemical activation with zinc chloride for wood dye adsorption

Wastewater containing dyes are released into water bodies generating serious problems in human health and marine life. To contribute to the solution of this problem, a novel activated carbon was prepared from untreated pine (Pinus radiata) sawdust by dry chemical activation with ZnCl2 and was used for wood dye adsorption. The carbon was characterized by point of zero charge, N2 and CO2 adsorption isotherms, SEM-EDX, and FTIR. N2 and CO2 surface areas were 471.4 and 319.5 m2 g−1, respectively, with 91% of micropores. Wood dye adsorption was studied in function of pH (2–12), adsorbent dose (0.1–4 g L−1), time (up to 48 h for blue and red and 12 h for black), and initial concentration (5–500 mg L−1). The equilibrium data for the blue and black dyes were satisfactorily fitted to the Freundlich model while those for the red dye to the Langmuir model. Kinetic data were explained by the pseudo-second order (chemisorption process) and intraparticle diffusion models. At 5 mg L−1, a 100% removal efficiency was achieved at all pH for the blue dye, whereas for the red and black, natural pH (5.1) and pH = 2, respectively, led to the best removal efficiencies, 96 and 56%. Increasing concentration above 25 mg L−1 significantly reduced adsorption efficiency for blue and red dyes. For the black dye increasing the dose to 1 g L−1, the adsorption efficiency reached 82% at 25 mg L−1. High removal efficiencies were achieved for all dyes at 25 mg L−1 and 4 g L−1.

Removal of wood dyes from aqueous solutions by sorption on untreated pine (Pinus radiata) sawdust

In this work, the possibility of using un-treated pine (Pinus radiata) sawdust as biosorbent for the removal of three wood dyes (blue, red and black) from aqueous solutions was investigated. The BET surface area of the material was 1.55 ± 0.81 m2 g−1 using N2 at − 196 °C and 17.83 ± 0.032 m2 g−1 using CO2 at 0 °C. The point of zero charge was 4.8. In addition, the material was characterized before and after adsorption by surface analytical techniques. Assays were performed to analize the stability of wood dyes with time and pH and also to estimate the pKa values. Batch adsorption experiments were performed and the influence of experimental parameters such as contact time (up to equilibrium), stirring rate (100 and 210 rpm), adsorbent dose (2–10 g L−1), pH (2–9) and initial dye concentration (5 and 300 mg L−1) were studied. The optimum conditions were pH 2 and adsorbent dose of 6 g L−1 and the highest adsorption percentages achieved at 5 mg L−1 were: 100.0% for the blue, 99.7% for the black and 92.4% for the red. For 300 mg L−1 adsorption efficiency decreased to 85.6, 57.0 and 63.8% for the blue, black and red ones, respectively. Kinetic data were best fitted to the pseudo-second order model, suggesting a chemisorption process. Freundlich and Dubidin-Radushkevich were the best isotherm models. Regeneration study showed that un-treated pine sawdust could be reused efficiently for red dye removal at least in up to four repeated adsorption–desorption cycles using NaOH as desorption agent.

Removal of copper from aqueous solutions by biosorption onto pine sawdust

Untreated Pinus radiata sawdust was investigated for the removal of Cu+2 ions from aqueous solutions. The biomass was characterized by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass (ICP-MS) spectrometry and by Scanning Electron Microscopy with an Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-Ray crystalline powder Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, before and after adsorption. The influence of contact time (up to equilibrium), adsorbent dose (1–50 g/L), initial metal ion concentration (5–300 mg/L) and pH (2–8) on copper sorption efficiency was studied through batch experiments. The results demonstrated that adsorption equilibrium is reached in less than 2 h and the best conditions (Cu+2 removal percentage, 93.4% and adsorption capacity, 0.82 mg/g) were achieved by increasing the adsorbent dose up to 5 g/L and the solution pH up to 7, and decreasing the initial metal concentration to 5 mg/L. The adsorption was optimized by means of a Doehlert experimental design analyzing the influence of adsorbent dose (5–15 g/L) and copper initial concentration (5–45 mg/L) on adsorption efficiency. Kinetic data were satisfactorily fitted to the second-order kinetic model. Intraparticle diffusion model demonstrated that different stages are involved in the adsorption process. Langmuir isotherms fitted satisfactorily the copper bioadsorption equilibrium data. Desorption studies achieved high efficiencies up to 94.5% and the possibility of sawdust regeneration was studied with four adsorption-desorption cycles. Thus, this study evidenced that sawdust is a promising efficient, renewable and economic adsorbent for metal removal and its use for that purpose constitutes an alternative for its management and valorization.

The Effect of Surface Treatment on the Antibacterial Properties of Wood and the Possibility to Detect the Antibacteriality with Fluorescence Method

Wood is a widely used indoor material, and thus it is important to consider wood performance in microbial cross contamination via surfaces. In this study, both untreated and surface- treated wood materials were studied by simulating airborne bacterial contamination and evaluating the number of bacterial colonies on the material surfaces. The materials studied were untreated pine heartwood and sapwood, spruce, silver birch, and glass as a reference. The intensity of UV-excited fluorescence was measured to find the most antibacterial Scots pine heartwood. The coatings used were varnish and wax for Scots pine sapwood. The surface roughness of all material types was compared, and it was found to be uniform. All untreated wood surfaces had less viable bacterial colonies at all time points compared to the glass reference, and the surface treated samples did not differ from the glass reference indicating that the antibacterial properties of wood were blocked by both varnish and wax. The fluorescence method was practical to use, but wider testing will be needed to validate it more thoroughly. The results indicate also that silver birch has similar antibacterial properties as pine and spruce and hence should be studied further.

Alumina as an Antifungal Agent for Pinus elliottii Wood.

This work deals with the durability of a Pinus elliotti wood impregnated with alumina (Al2O3) particles. The samples were impregnated at three different Al2O3 weight fractions (c.a. 0.1%, 0.3% and 0.5%) and were then exposed to two wood-rot fungi, namely white-rot fungus (Trametes versicolor) and brown-rot fungus (Gloeophyllum trabeum). Thermal and chemical characteristics were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric (TG) analyses. The wood which incorporated 0.3 wt% of Al2O3 presented a weight loss 91.5% smaller than the untreated wood after being exposed to the white-rot fungus. On the other hand, the highest effectiveness against the brown-rot fungus was reached by the wood treated with 5 wt% of Al2O3, which presented a mass loss 91.6% smaller than that of the untreated pine wood. The Al2O3-treated woods presented higher antifungal resistances than the untreated ones in a way that: the higher the Al2O3 content, the higher the thermal stability. In general, the impregnation of the Al2O3 particles seems to be a promising treatment for wood protection against both studied wood-rot fungi. Additionally, both FT-IR and TG results were valuable tools to ascertain chemical changes ascribed to fungal decay.

Utilization of waste pine needles for the production of cellulolytic enzymes in a solid state fermentation bioreactor and high calorific value fuel pellets from fermented residue: Towards a biorefinery approach

The present study addresses valorisation of abundantly available, low-cost pine needle (PN) waste into cellulolytic enzymes and high calorific value (CV) fuel pellets (FP). Initial studies in flasks involving hot water steam pre-treatment (HWSP) using Aspergillus niger MTCC 9652 for 5 days resulted in an increase in Cellulase, Endoglucanase and Xylanase activities compared to the untreated pine needles (UPN). Fermentation experiments were scaled-up in a 6-L Solid State fermentation (SSF) packed bed reactor (PBR) at different bed heights (BH) using UPN. The maximum cellulase and xylanase yields were achieved as 9.97 ± 0.27 FPU g-ds−1 and 8276 ± 254 IU g-ds−1, respectively, at 72 h using UPN in the PBR. The fermented residue showed 53.5% consumption of holocellulose, a decrease in crystallinity index to 29.5% from 46%, with an increase in total lignin content of 45.9%. The fermented residue was processed for pellet production, resulting in a higher CV (19.13 ± 0.69 MJ kg-1) than the pellet made from unfermented PN (17.63 ± 0.66 MJ kg−1), along with enhanced compressive strength. Sulphur content (0.14%) was below the permissible limit of SOx emission for fuels with ash content less than 5%. Therefore, the present study represents a novel and sustainable biorefinery approach for PN valorisation.

Biological Resistance of Acetylated Radiata Pine, European Beech, and MDF against Marine Borers at Three Italian Sites after Five Years Immersion

The aim of this research was to determine the resistance of acetylated wood against marine biodeterioration in use class 5 for use in temperate waters. The resistance of acetylated radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) on solid and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) panels was compared with untreated wood of European species, such as European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), European oak (Quercus robur L.), and marine plywood. As a reference control, untreated Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood was used. The field tests were carried out in accordance with EN 275, and started in April 2015. The three Italian exposure sites were Marine of Scarlino private harbor, Port of Genoa, and the Venice Lagoon. Final evaluation in 2021 showed a greater resistance to marine borers of acetylated wood, radiata pine, and beech and MDF panels. However, the untreated European species showed low resistance against marine organisms, with complete decay after the first year of exposure.

Встановлення закономірностей впливу полімерної оболонки на біоруйнування деревини

The process of wood biological destruction is analyzed. It was found that the neglect of environmentally friendly means of bioprotection, leads to the destruction of wooden structures under the action of microorganisms. It is established that the study of wood protection conditions leads to the creation of new types of protective materials that reduce water absorption, as well as reduce the amount of substances that are the environment for the development of wood-destroying fungi. In this regard, a computational and experimental method for determining the proportion of destroyed material under the action of microorganisms using an antiseptic has been developed. The analysis of the results shows that the maximum weight loss in the case of biodegradation of untreated wood samples ranged from 7,6 to 16 %, and the weight loss of thermally modified wood samples did not exceed 3 %, antiseptic-hydrophobicizer – was less than 2 %. It was found that the protection when treated with thermally modified wood with oil-wax and azure exceeds (compared to untreated) more than 4 times in terms of biodegradation, and treatment with antiseptic-water repellent for untreated oil-wax and azure – more than 8 times. It should be noted that the presence of oil-wax and azure leads to blockage of the wood surface from the penetration of moisture or microorganisms. Therefore, the intensity of wood-destroying fungus development on the surface of various samples are differed. Obviously, such a mechanism of the protective coating influence is the factor regulating the process, which preserves the integrity of the object. On the experimental data basis and by modeling the equations, the microorganisms population dynamics in the volume of material and the function of increasing the number of dead organisms are derived. Thus, a polymer shell was created on the surface of the sample, which significantly reduced the penetration of microorganisms into the wood, and the weight loss of wood during biodegradation did not exceed 2,5 %. Additional application of protective substances on the surface increases the protection level of untreated pine wood by 72 %, thermomodified at 190 °C – 25 %, at 220 °C – by 37 %. Similar results for hornbeam wood – 60; 37 and 28 %, for oak – 50; 37 and 37 % respectively.

Color Changes and Resistance Against Subterranean Termites Attack of Furfuryl Alcohol Impregnated Pine and Sengon Woods Through Graveyard Test

Pine (Pinus merkusii Jungh. & de Vriese) and sengon (Falcataria moluccana (Miq.) Barneby & J.W. Grimes) are common species of woods used for many purposes. Both species are known susceptible against subterranean termite attack. This study aims to analyze the effect of furfuryl alcohol impregnation on color changes and the resistance against subterranean termites of pinewood and sengon after in-ground test for one year. Furfurylated pine and sengon woods reached weight percent gain 31.2% and 79.1%, densities 0.93 g/cm3 and 0.43 g/cm3, moisture content 3.27% and 2.88%, respectively. Furfurylated pine and sengon woods have lost weight 4.07% dan 2.09%, respectively, with the average resistance level of 9.8 on both woods while untreated pine and sengon woods lost weight were 59.02% and 35.58%, with resistance level 4 and 3.8, respectively. Resistance level scoring was conducted by refering to ASTM D1758-06. Higher resistance level and lower weight loss on both furfurylated woods compared to untreated woods showed that furfurylation could increase the wood resistance against termite attack.

Heat-Treated Wood Reinforced High Density Polyethylene Composites

This study investigated the effect of untreated and heat-treated ash and black pine wood flour concentrations on the selected properties of high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites. HDPE and wood flour were used as thermoplastic matrix and filler, respectively. The blends of HDPE and wood fl our were compounded using single screw extruder and test samples were prepared through injection molding. Mechanical properties like tensile strength (TS), tensile modulus (TM), elongation at break (EatB), fl exural strength (FS), fl exural modulus (FM) and impact strength (IS) of manufactured composites were determined. Wood fl our concentrations have significantly increased density, FS, TM and FM and hardness of composites while reducing TS, EatB and IS. Heat-treated ash and black pine fl our reinforced HDPE composites had higher mechanical properties than untreated ones. Composites showed two main decomposition peaks; one coming from ash wood flour (353-370 °C) and black pine wood fl our (373-376 °C), the second one from HDPE degradation (469-490 °C). SEM images showed improved dispersion of heat-treated ash and black pine wood flour. The obtained results showed that both the untreated and heat-treated ash/black pine wood flour have an important potential in the manufacture of HDPE composites.

Synthesis and characterization of polyvinyl chloride/wood flour/organoclay ternary composites

Polyvinyl chloride/wood flour (WF)/organoclay (OMMT) ternary composites were prepared by melt blending. Chemically treated and untreated pine WF were used as filler, and organically modified montmorillonite or OMMT was added in order to get a potential synergy effect between polyvinyl chloride, untreated wood flour (UWF), or chemically treated WF. The OMMT loading in the composites was 0.5, 1, or 1.5 wt%. The chemically treated and UWF loadings were 1, 5, and 10 wt%. The composite specimens were subjected to mechanical tests (evaluation of tensile strength, elongation at break, and Shore A hardness), thermal stability (Beilstein test), processability characterizations, water resistance absorption, and morphological (optical microscopy) observations. The main results showed that the chemically treated WF were more efficient than the UWF for improving the mechanical and physical properties of polyvinyl chloride. Similar results were reported in the scientific literature. Therefore the chemically treated WF can be a cheap, eco-friendly, and renewable substitute for chalk as a filler which is normally used in the fabrication of Polyvinylchloride based cable insulators.

Influence of Non-Lignocellulosic Elements on the Combustion of Treated Wood and Wooden Panel

Brazil stands out internationally in the production and commercialization of wood products. Although the external and internal demand for these products is met by the Brazilian forestry sector, challenges related to the internal management of lignocellulosic waste are evident, as the country has structural difficulties in the sector of solid waste management. Therefore, the objective was to comparatively analyze the performance of the most abundant lignocellulosic materials in the Brazilian market, regarding energy recovery at the end of their life cycles. Pine wood treated with chromed copper arsenate (CCA), untreated pine wood, eucalypt wood treated with CCA, untreated eucalypt wood, uncoated medium density fiberboard panel (MDF), and MDF panel with melamine coating were sampled. The characterization included thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDXA), and elementary analysis (EA). The presence of the CCA salts and the melamine coating reduced the energy potential of the biomass, altering the burning behavior and significantly increasing the amount of generated ashes. They also caused an increase in the concentrations of copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Cd) in the wood ashes as well as lead (Pb) and chromium in the panel ashes.