Wooden Parts Research Articles

NMR and MRI observation of water absorption/uptake in hemp shives used for hemp concrete

Hemp concrete used as a construction material is known to provide excellent thermal insulation and hydric regulation, and prevents condensation. Initial water content in the hemp and water exchanges between hemp and binder play a major role in these processes. Here we study how hemp absorbs liquid water. In that aim we rely on 1H NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) measurements which make it possible to distinguish water situated inside from water situated outside the hemp. Then, following the evolution of the distribution of NMR relaxation times we are able to quantify the effective amount of water entering the hemp as a function of time. We show that such a measure is better controlled than usual techniques such as weighing an immersed sample or the TC (Technical Committee) RILEM (Réunion Internationale des Laboratoires et Experts des Matériaux, systèmes de construction et ouvrages) method which cannot easily distinguish water inside hemp from water situated outside or wetting the external hemp surface. The water absorption in hemp occurs in two steps: about half the water enters the material in a time of the order of a minute, while the second half of water slowly penetrates over a time of the order of three days. Finally, from 1H micro NMR imaging we show that the first step corresponds to water entering the pith while the second one corresponds to water diffusing in the wood part of the shiv.

Evaluation on Biological Sensitivity of Three Fumigants Used for Conservation of Wooden Cultural Property

Fumigants are used worldwide for control of biological agents that damage wooden cultural property. To establish a policy for fumigant use, biological evaluation of insects and microorganisms considering many factors is required. This study was performed to evaluate biological sensitivity and wood penetration of three fumigants applied for control of biological agents that damage wooden cultural properties in Korea. Among these, methyl bromide and ethylene oxide can control insects and fungi when exposed directly. However, they were unable to completely control biological agents within deeper parts of wood. Ethanedinitrile, which was developed as an alternative fumigant, exhibited outstanding wood penetration and biocidal efficacy. Further research involving various environmental conditions is warranted.

Joining sheets perpendicular to one other by sheet-bulk metal forming

This paper presents a variant of the traditional ‘mortise-and-tenon’ joint, which has been used for thousands of years by carpenters and blacksmiths to connect wood or metal parts. The new proposed joint is utilized to fix longitudinally in position two metal sheets (or plates) perpendicular to one other by sheet-bulk metal forming, at room temperature. The development is performed by means of a combined finite element and experimental investigation focused on the identification of the major process parameters and on the understanding of their influence on the overall joining feasibility. Destructive testing is carried out to characterize the performance of the new proposed joint, and an analytical expression is provided to determine the maximum tensile force that the joint can safely withstand.

Adaptive ventilation for climate control in a medieval church in cold climate

ABSTRACTOld medieval churches hold objects of great historical and cultural value: organs, altars, paintings. But they have no systems for indoor climate control or the church may be heated only at services. These conditions are inadequate for the preservation of cultural heritage. The objective of this paper is to assess an adaptive ventilation (AV) solution in a church for reduction of the relative humidity (RH) in an unheated church to prevent mould growth and disintegration of wooden parts. The operation principle of the system is to ensure ventilation in the church when water vapour content in the outdoor air is lower than that indoors, to lower the RH in the church. A case study in Hangvar Church in Gotland, Sweden, was conducted to test the performance of AV to reduce the RH in the church. Field measurements showed that AV has a positive impact on the indoor RH of the church. During the measurement period without climate control, the RH in the church was higher than 70% of 98% of the time; with AV, the indoor RH was higher than 70% only 78% of the time. Building simulation was carried out to test the performance and energy consumption of AV under different conditions. The simulations showed that auxiliary heating and airflow rate both have high impact on the system performance. The higher the heating power, the more effective the system is; thus, lower airflow rates are needed. Infiltration has also high impact on the system performance: the lower the infiltration rate, the better the AV performance is.

Transcriptome Sequencing of Chemically Induced Aquilaria sinensis to Identify Genes Related to Agarwood Formation.

BackgroundAgarwood is a traditional Chinese medicine used as a clinical sedative, carminative, and antiemetic drug. Agarwood is formed in Aquilaria sinensis when A. sinensis trees are threatened by external physical, chemical injury or endophytic fungal irritation. However, the mechanism of agarwood formation via chemical induction remains unclear. In this study, we characterized the transcriptome of different parts of a chemically induced A. sinensis trunk sample with agarwood. The Illumina sequencing platform was used to identify the genes involved in agarwood formation.Methodology/Principal FindingsA five-year-old Aquilaria sinensis treated by formic acid was selected. The white wood part (B1 sample), the transition part between agarwood and white wood (W2 sample), the agarwood part (J3 sample), and the rotten wood part (F5 sample) were collected for transcriptome sequencing. Accordingly, 54,685,634 clean reads, which were assembled into 83,467 unigenes, were obtained with a Q20 value of 97.5%. A total of 50,565 unigenes were annotated using the Nr, Nt, SWISS-PROT, KEGG, COG, and GO databases. In particular, 171,331,352 unigenes were annotated by various pathways, including the sesquiterpenoid (ko00909) and plant–pathogen interaction (ko03040) pathways. These pathways were related to sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis and defensive responses to chemical stimulation.Conclusions/SignificanceThe transcriptome data of the different parts of the chemically induced A. sinensis trunk provide a rich source of materials for discovering and identifying the genes involved in sesquiterpenoid production and in defensive responses to chemical stimulation. This study is the first to use de novo sequencing and transcriptome assembly for different parts of chemically induced A. sinensis. Results demonstrate that the sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis pathway and WRKY transcription factor play important roles in agarwood formation via chemical induction. The comparative analysis of the transcriptome data of agarwood and A. sinensis lays the foundation for elucidating the mechanism of agarwood formation via chemical induction, and thus, enables future improvements in agarwood quality while protecting endangered wild A. sinensis.

Anatomical Characteristics of Paulownia tomentosa Root Wood

This study investigated several anatomical characteristics of Paulownia tomentosa roots. The root wood was separated into three parts from stem base (top, middle, and base) at different positions below ground. Qualitative anatomical data suggested that the growth rings in earlywood and latewood were structurally different. Furthermore, the root wood vessels were found having 2 to 3 radial multiples and they were appeared in the form of clusters. In addition, some sheath cells and septate axial parenchyma were observed. Regarding the quantitative anatomical characteristics, vessel and ray numbers per , as well as ray width and height differed significantly among the top, middle, and base rood wood parts. However, there were no significant differences in vessel diameters, cell wall thickness, and width and length of wood fibers among those parts. The crystallinity of the root top part was slightly higher than that of the middle and base parts. Furthermore, the vessel numbers, ray numbers, and ray width and height in the near pith (NP) area were higher compared to those in the near bark (NB) area. However, the fiber width and fiber length at NP were lower than those at NB. Overall, this study demonstrated some significant differences in the anatomical characteristics of the top, middle, and base parts of root wood from Paulownia tomentosa.

Influence of thermal treatment on color change of beech wood with red heartwood

The goal of this word was to examine the parameters of color of beech wood before and after thermal treatment, and to determine if there is a difference in color between sapwood and red heartwood before and after application of high temperature. Samples were treated at temperatures of 170?C, 190?C and 210?C, respectively, during 4 hours. Color coordinates (CIEL*a*b* system) were measured before and after treatment by using the following parameters: ?L, ?a, ?b and ?E - color change. Color was assessed at four spots on the radial and cross-section surfaces of wood and their mean values were taken for further calculations. Acquired results show that the applied heat treatment of sapwood did not significantly influence the change of color difference between cross-section and radial surfaces. The difference between cross-section and radial surfaces, in nontreated red heartwood was smaller than that measured in sapwood. The color difference of nontreated sapwood and red heartwood was more pronounced on the radial than on the cross-section surface. Application of high temperature caused a significant decrease of this difference. Temperature of 210?C caused the smallest color difference between these two parts of wood which was in this research determined on the radial surface. It was concluded that the applied thermal treatment almost equalized the colors of sapwood and red heartwood, especially on the radial surface, and from this aspect it can be concluded that these two parts of beech wood were completely equalized. It should also be noted that in the case of equalized properties, sapwood and red heartwood can be equally applied in a final product made of thermally treated beech wood.

A Review on Pharmacological Actions of Artocarpus lacoocha Roxb.

The term of medicinal plants include a various types of plants used in herbalism and some of these plants have a medicinal activities. These medicinal plants consider as a rich resources of ingredients which can be used in drug development and synthesis. Besides that these plants Play a critical role in the development of human cultures around the whole world. In Indonesia, Artocarpus lacoocha is known as the monkey fruit that have characterized by a tall tree with white latex in all parts of plants, hard wood, and fleshy fruit with lots of seeds. The study was carried out to assess the Antiulcer, Anticonvulsant and Antianxiety activities of Artocarpus lacoocha leaves. Artocarpus lacoocha Roxb has many medicinal uses. All Artocarpus species are lactiferous trees or shrubs that are composed of leaves, twigs and stems capable of producing a milky sap. The fauna type is monoecious and produces unisexual flowers. The phytoconstituents present in this plant are Flavonoids, Tannins, Saponins, Steroids, Glycosides, Triterpenoids, Protein, Phenolic compound, Resin and Squalene.

Wood as a Technical Material for Structural Vehicle Components

The application of molded wood parts as an alternative, innovative and sustainable multi-material system (MMS) for structural, resource-efficient and sustainable components within the body shell is a new approach in light-weight constructions. In many of the cases where a structural application of FRP is being considered, they can principally be substituted by wood-based MMS. Although there are great challenges; wood has the potential to fulfill the demands of the present technical appliances and social requirements. Actual results offers the first systematic approach to use wood in structural applications. The main properties and demands, which correspond with those of the specific original structural components, could be met. So, as regarding performance and reproducibility, it is possible to apply a wood-based material in technical appliances. Furthermore, material models have been designed and concepts for the repair and recycling of the wood-based MMS were developed.

The Effect of Environment on Timber-concrete Composite Bridge Deck

In the field of timber bridges progressive static structural solution is if the timber bearing members of the bridge deck are combined with concrete layer applying a shear connection to receive their composite action. The composite timber-concrete bridge deck comparing to the standard timber bridge deck has a higher rigidity, is more resistant to dynamic effects and has protected wooden part from external mechanical actions. The behavior of timber–concrete bridge deck is significantly influenced by the conditions of surrounding environment. In the presented paper, results of theoretical and experimental investigation of the effect of temperature and humidity changes of environment on the timber-concrete composite bridge deck will be presented. The applied analytical calculation model developed for analysis of long term behavior of timber-concrete elements influenced by the environment temperature and humidity will be introduced. In the experimental program, timber–concrete members with different timber structural parts and various composite connections under short and long term loading were investigated. The environmental conditions, temperature and humidity, during the 5 year long test were continually registered. Comparison of theoretical and experimental results and some practical conclusions for design of timber–concrete bridge deck will be finally presented.

Effect of Type and Dates of Canes Taking in Rooting and Growth of Grapevine (Vitis Vinifera L.) Cv. Taifi

This study was carried out during growing season 2011-2012 on 17 years old Taifi in a private vineyard located near Zawita town, Duhok governorate, Kurdistan region, Iraq, in order to study the effect of type and dates of taking the cutting on rooting and growth of grape transplants, two types of cuttings (basal and middle cutting) were taken at three dates, first at late autumn ( November D1), second at winter (February, D2) and the third at late winter (March, D3), the basal cutting were taken with a part of wood. Results indicated that the basal cutting overtopped in shoot length, No. shoots and leaves per plant, root dry weight and rooting percentage, while never shows it influence on the content of chlorophyll. Whereas first date of taking cutting significantly increased all parameters mentioned above. Interaction of basal cutting + first time of taking had the best significantly values.

Antimicrobial activities of stembark and wood extracts from Nauclea subdita against pathogenic microorganisms

Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of Nauclea subdita (Korth) Steud against six pathogenic microorganisms. Methodology and results: Young and matured trees of N. subdita were cut and separated into bark and wood parts, respectively, prior to extraction process. Phytochemical screening tests, antimicrobial activity, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were determined. Preliminary screening for phytochemical components showed that both young and matured tree had similar constituents. Extracts from matured tree showed more potency in terms of the zones of inhibition sizes than the young tree. Extract of N. subdita was more potent to both marine bacteria, Vibrio parahaemoliticus and V. alginolyticus, while Candida albican and Aspergillus niger were resistant to it. The sensitivity test showed that 500 μg/mL is the optimum concentration for extract of bottom sapwood of mature tree to act as bactericidal. Conclusion, significance and impact study: The results from this study suggest that N. subdita bark and wood extracts may serve as potential source of antimicrobial agents for future development in medicine applications.

Paleoenvironment and possibilities of plant exploitation in the Middle Pleistocene of Schöningen (Germany). Insights from botanical macro-remains and pollen

Plant use is an elusive issue in Paleolithic archaeology. Due to poor organic preservation in many sites, botanical material is not always present. The sediments in Schöningen, however, contain abundant botanical macro-remains like wood, fruits, seeds, and other parts of plants which offer the opportunity to reconstruct the local vegetation. Combined with palynological results, it is possible to reveal the full potential of this environment to hominins. Ethnobotanical studies of hunter-gatherer societies living in similar environments illustrate the importance of plants for subsistence purposes. The identified taxa from the archaeological horizons at Schöningen include a broad spectrum of potentially exploitable species that could be sources of food, raw material, and firewood.

Experimental Evaluation of Joints using Thin Steel Angles for Wood Structures

The load-bearing capacity of joints using thin steel elements for wood buildings was considered. Six variants of a specific type of joint consisting of two wood elements in a ceiling structure joined by steel angles were experimentally tested. These variants differed in utilization of nails as well as screws (of various lengths) for wood. Another observed factor was the percentage of holes filled in the angles. In this work the percentage of holes filled means how many of the holes in the steel angles were filled by nails/screws. The evaluation characteristic was the maximum loading force at the breaking point. Based on the results, a set of recommendations for designing a specific type of joint with steel angles was formulated. The results showed that during loading of the joints, tensile stresses occur in the direction perpendicular to the fibers, which causes a failure of the wood parts of the joints.

Palkseina tihtimismaterjalide omadused / Properties of Log Wall Stuffings

Replacing old wooden windows with new ones is a common way of improving the energy efficiency of the buildings, although there is no general agreement on whether changing windows is a rational step to take. The architectural and the cultural changes, as well as the building waste generated by the removed windows, have been seen as problematic. Nor has a consensus been reached on the amount and significance of the energy savings achieved by such changes.In this study, the thermal and physical properties of old windows and the effect which different renovation methods have on them were investigated. The renovation methods used in this study were light, and therefore there was no need to work on the wooden parts or to take out the frames.The energy efficiency of a window consists of its airtightness, heat conductivity and radiance permeability. The large air leakages of the test window were fixable by stuffing and taping, but it was found that the result was unsatisfactory when rubber sealants were used. The U-value of the test window was improved by changing the selective glass in the inner frames. The energy efficiency of the test window improved significantly when the appropriate renovation and replacement work was done. On the other hand, even after the repairs, the energy consumption was still almost twice as high as that of modern windows. Both renovating and replacing the windows are reasonable attempts to decrease energy expenditure, but they are not cost-effective. Culturally and architecturally speaking, replacing windows is a destructive action.Arriving at an answer to the question of what to do with old wooden windows will depend on one’s viewpoint, and we cannot promulgate a single, invariably correct, course of action. As a compromise, it can be recommended to always seal the windows carefully at the beginning of the heating season and to change the selective glass in the inner frames during the renovation.

More insight into characterization of the waterlogged wooden part of Acqualadroni Roman Rostrum by solid-state NMR

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy was applied to characterize the wooden part of a roman Rostrum recovered in the Tyrrhenian Sea in the Acqualadroni area (Messina, Italy). The Acqualadroni Rostrum has been, in the recent past, investigated to establish its provenance and conservation. In this paper, solid-state NMR was used to obtain information on the conservation state of the wood as a preliminary step for the conservation process.A wooden sample of this artifact, collected by coring, was divided in four parts in order to correlate the conservation state to the depth. Results were compared with those obtained for a modern wood of the same species.A structural study was performed by acquiring 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning spectra to evaluate the cellulose crystallinity degree and the lignin condensation degree. In addition, the holocellulose–lignin ratio and the cellulose–lignin residual interactions were determined through variable contact time experiments and relaxation times determination respectively.Being the solid-state NMR a non-destructive technique, all measurements were performed with no modification of the samples such as solvent extraction or other chemical treatment, making the samples available for further analytical investigation.

Clonal selection of rootstocks by means of determination of hard bast layers

Determination of the number of closed circles of hard bast plates on matured shoot cuttings, which is used for wood maturity control, was applied as selection method to four rootstocks: Vitis berlandieri x V. riparia Kober 5 BB, Teleki 5 C, Craciunel 2 and V. riparia x V. rupestris Schwarzmann. For each selected vine stock the linear regression of wood maturity was calculated, considering the distance from the base of the cane. From the linear regression equation the average length of the matured wood part was calculated for each stock The results of 3-year investigations show that the degree of rootstock wood maturity is not only dependent on the meteorological conditions of the years but is also genetically conditioned.

EKSTRAKSI 1,8-CINEOLE DARI MINYAK DAUN EUCALYPTUS UROPHYLLA DENGAN METODE SOXHLETASI

Eucalyptus urophylla plants (family: Myrtaceae, order: Myrtales ) usually are used only wooden parts for the manufacture of frames, pulp and paper, whereas their leaves can be used to produce essential oils in the pharmaceutical usage. The aim of this research is to extract the essential oils from leaves of Eucalyptus urophylla with soxhlet extraction method, in order to obtain maximum recovery of essential oils with good quality. Prior to the extraction process, the fresh leaves of Eucalyptus urophylla were reduced so that its size become 1 × 1 cm, and then dried in an oven at a temperature of 70 °C for 1 hour after being wrapped in a filter paper, after that followed by the extraction of the leaves using a variety of solvents, namely 96 % ethanol, n-hexane and dichloromethane, then proceed with the analysis of essential oil products (cineol content analysis). In this study, experiments were conducted with a variety of treatments such as the ratio of the volume of solvent to yield, the ratio of the mass of leaves of Eucalyptus urophylla to the yield on 5 cycles , and temperature of the solvent to yield. The conclusions of this research are the best extraction results with maximum cineol value (29.17 %) was obtained using dichloromethane solvent, while using 96 % ethanol produced the maximum yield of extract.

Energy use and indoor climate of conservation heating, dehumidification and adaptive ventilation for the climate control of a mediaeval church in a cold climate

Mediaeval churches hold substantial historical and cultural values, organs, altars, paintings that need to be preserved. Many of these churches have no climate control systems installed. Thus the indoor climate is mainly determined by the outdoor climate. Focus in this study is on the possibilities to improve indoor climate in originally unheated churches to prevent and protect churches from mould growth and disintegration of wooden parts. A case study in the Church of the Holy Cross in Harju Risti, Estonia, was conducted to test two different indoor climate control systems: dehumidification and an air-to-air heat pump. The systems were controlled with relative humidity to prevent the indoor humidity from dropping low enough to start wood cracking and salt drying in the walls. Based on field measurements, simulation models were calibrated and used to test different climate control systems and their impact on churches’ indoor climate and energy consumption. Our study showed that the adaptive ventilation performs well in high indoor humidity conditions, annual energy consumption of conservation heating with a heat pump is the lowest, and dehumidification is most effective during the cold period.

Cytochemical and immunocytochemical characterization of wood decayed by the white rot fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus II. Degradation of lignin and non-cellulosic polysaccharides in European ash wood

Degradation of lignin and non-cellulosic polysaccharides (pectins and hemicelluloses) by the white rot fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus were investigated in European ash wood (hardwood) using transmission electron microscopy coupled with immunocytochemistry. Lignin was preferentially removed in secondary cell walls of ash xylem cells including fibers, vessel and (ray/axial) parenchyma cells prior to degradation of hemicelluloses (i.e. selective decay). Concomitantly, degradation of cell walls occurred by progressive thinning from the lumen surface outwards similar to simultaneous decay. Preferential degradation of middle lamellae before complete degradation of secondary cell walls (i.e. a typical feature of selective decay) was only observed in bi-/triseriate rays by initial attack from pit regions. Vessel and parenchyma cells showed greater resistance to decay than fibers with narrower decay zone produced. A comparison of decay between ash and spruce wood (Part I, softwood) demonstrated that P. sanguineus produces selective decay in both hard- and softwoods but more typical micromorphological features of selective decay are produced in spruce tracheids than ash fibers. This study highlights that degradation of lignin proceeds hemicelluloses in wood cell walls attacked by the selective white rot fungus P. sanguineus.