Wood In Presence Research Articles

Melamine-Formaldehyde Acrylamide and Gum Polymer Impregnated Wood Polymer Nanocomposite

Melamine-formaldehyde acrylamide (MFA) copolymer was prepared and vacuum impregnated into wood in presence of 1,3-dimethylol 4,5-dihydroxyethylene urea (DMDHEU) as crosslinker, vinyltrichlorosilane (VTCS) modified montmorillonite (MMT) and Gum Polymer (GP) derived from Moringa oleifera as a flame retarding agent under catalyst heat treatment. The formation of MFA and DMDHEU was confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) studies. The crystallinity of the composites and interaction among them was studied by X-ray Diffractometry (XRD) and FTIR study. Maximum interaction was found in wood samples treated with MFA/DMDHEU/GP (3 phr)/MMT as shown by FTIR. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed the presence of polymer and MMT in the composites. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) study indicated the incorporation of MMT into the wood polymer composite. Thermal stability and flammability were checked by Thermogravimetric Analyser (TGA) and Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) instrument. The treatment of wood with GP had a significant influence on the thermal stability and flame retardant properties of the composites. Remarkable improvement in water repellency and chemical resistance was found for the treated wood samples. The composites showed significant improvement in mechanical properties due to treatment.

Direct thermo-catalytic transformation of pine wood into low oxygenated fuel: Influence of the support

The direct catalytic thermo-catalytic transformation of wood in presence of molecular hydrogen has been demonstrated. The resulting organic liquid consists of saturated alkanes and aromatics and was obtained with a yield up to 30wt.%. Importantly, the oxygen content is about 3wt.% (<5wt.% required for bio-fuel formulation) and has a Higher Heating Value of 41MJkg−1 which is very close to standard diesel (44MJkg−1) used in automotive fuel. The catalysts comprise multi-functional Cu–Ru supported on Cs exchanged heteropolyacid (H3PW12O40 and H3PMo12O40), featuring depolymerisation, deoxygenation and hydrogenation in a single batch reactor. Current results present an alternative approach to convert highly oxygenated lignocellulosic biomass to a low oxygenated organic liquid suitable as additives in biofuels, in one step and one reactor.