Wood Materials Research Articles

Effect of Impregnation Modification on the Operational Properties of Wood Materials

Statement of the problem. To identify the effect of modification on the operational properties of wood and materials based on it. Results. The results of experimental studies of operational properties and durability modified by organic materials of wood, plywood, laminate, chipboard and fiberboard are presented. The results of the study on durability are based on the provisions of the thermal fluctuation theory of strength. Conclusions. The complex of the conducted studies sufficiently demonstrates the effect of modification on the operational properties of wood and materials based on it. In the course of research, it was revealed that the modification allowed to increase the hydrophysical properties of materials, their strength and biostability. But at the same time, there is a change in the mechanisms of their destruction, which am­biguously affects the durability of modified materials.

Effect of acetylation on wood-water interactions studied by sorption calorimetry

Sorption of water has a profound effect on the material properties of wood. The uptake of water vapour in wood and other materials releases more heat than the condensation of vapour to liquid water. This excess energy provides insights to the interactions and energy state of the absorbed water molecules. Modification of wood by acetylation is a common way of altering the wood-water interactions; however, very few data exist on how this and other types of modification affect the energy state of absorbed water in wood. This study is the first to use sorption calorimetry on modified wood to explore the effect of acetylation on wood-water interactions. Acetylation decreased the strength of the interactions between wood and water as seen from a decrease in differential enthalpy of mixing, both overall and in the dry state. It appears that acetylation removes or hinders the most-energetic interactions or bonding configurations of water in wood, perhaps because acetylation reduces the number of water-accessible hydroxyls more than it reduces the amount of absorbed water molecules.

Artificial Neural Network–based Prediction Model to Minimize Dust Emission in the Machining Process

BackgroundDust generated during various wood-related activities, such as cutting, sanding, or processing wood materials, can pose significant health and environmental risks due to its potential to cause respiratory problems and contribute to air pollution. Understanding the factors influencing dust emission is important for devising effective mitigation strategies, ensuring a safer working environment, and minimizing environmental impact. This study focuses on developing an artificial neural network (ANN) model to predict dust emission values in the machining of black poplar (Populus nigra L.), oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.), and medium-density fiberboards. MethodsThe multilayer feed-forward ANN model is developed using a customized application built with MATLAB code. The inputs to the ANN model include material type, cutting width, number of blades, and cutting depth, whereas the output is the dust emission. Model performance is assessed through graphical and statistical comparisons. ResultsThe results reveal that the developed ANN model can provide adequate predictions for dust emission with an acceptable level of accuracy. Through the implementation of the ANN model, the study predicts intermediate dust emission values for different cutting widths and cutting depths, which are not considered in the experimental work. It is observed that dust emission tends to decrease with reductions in cutting width and cutting depth. ConclusionThis study introduces an alternative approach to optimize machining-process conditions for minimizing dust emissions. The findings of this research will assist industries in obtaining dust emission values without the need for additional experimental activities, thereby reducing experimental time and costs.

ICDW-YOLO: An Efficient Timber Construction Crack Detection Algorithm.

A robust wood material crack detection algorithm, sensitive to small targets, is indispensable for production and building protection. However, the precise identification and localization of cracks in wooden materials present challenges owing to significant scale variations among cracks and the irregular quality of existing data. In response, we propose a crack detection algorithm tailored to wooden materials, leveraging advancements in the YOLOv8 model, named ICDW-YOLO (improved crack detection for wooden material-YOLO). The ICDW-YOLO model introduces novel designs for the neck network and layer structure, along with an anchor algorithm, which features a dual-layer attention mechanism and dynamic gradient gain characteristics to optimize and enhance the original model. Initially, a new layer structure was crafted using GSConv and GS bottleneck, improving the model's recognition accuracy by maximizing the preservation of hidden channel connections. Subsequently, enhancements to the network are achieved through the gather-distribute mechanism, aimed at augmenting the fusion capability of multi-scale features and introducing a higher-resolution input layer to enhance small target recognition. Empirical results obtained from a customized wooden material crack detection dataset demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed ICDW-YOLO algorithm in effectively detecting targets. Without significant augmentation in model complexity, the mAP50-95 metric attains 79.018%, marking a 1.869% improvement over YOLOv8. Further validation of our algorithm's effectiveness is conducted through experiments on fire and smoke detection datasets, aerial remote sensing image datasets, and the coco128 dataset. The results showcase that ICDW-YOLO achieves a mAP50 of 69.226% and a mAP50-95 of 44.210%, indicating robust generalization and competitiveness vis-à-vis state-of-the-art detectors.

Fiber-Reinforced Plywood: Increased Performance with Less Raw Material.

Fiber-reinforced plywood is a composite material that combines the natural strength and rigidity of plywood with the added durability and resilience provided by reinforcing fibers. This type of plywood is designed to offer improved characteristics over standard plywood, including enhanced strength, stiffness, resistance to impact and moisture, and environmental degradation. By integrating reinforcing fibers, such as glass, carbon, or natural fibers (like flax, bamboo, or hemp) into or onto plywood, manufacturers can create a material that is better suited for applications where traditional plywood might fall short or when a decrease in product weight or savings in wood raw material are necessary. This report reviews the current progress in fiber-reinforced plywood in the context of plywood as a construction material to better understand the potential gains in plywood applications, mechanical parameters, and material savings. It is found that a simple and cost-effective procedure of fiber reinforcement allows for substantial improvements in plywood's mechanical properties, typically to the extent of 10-40%. It is suggested that the wider adoption of fiber-reinforced plywood, especially in load- and impact-bearing applications, would greatly contribute to enhanced durability and longevity of the material while also allowing for more sustainable use of raw wood material.

Utilization of alternative wood particles for modern thermal insulation products

Abstract Thermal insulation materials play a vital role in minimising energy loss in building operation and also affect the amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with heating and cooling. In this context, it is becoming an increasingly important milestone to find suitable thermal insulation materials that not only meet the technical requirements but also minimise their environmental impact. The trend towards the use of eco-friendly materials for thermal insulation reflects the construction industry’s desire to contribute to environmental protection and the transition to more sustainable models of building construction and renovation. For more than 20 years, a number of research teams have been investigating the possibility of replacing synthetically produced materials such as mineral wool and polystyrene foam with natural fibre-based insulation materials. These alternatives include wood as a traditional, easily renewable raw material. This, together with the low energy intensity of processing and manufacturing wood materials, contributes to its low carbon footprint. Compared to traditional synthetic insulation materials, which are often energy intensive to produce, wood is a more environmentally friendly choice. However, with many European countries now facing a potential shortage of higher quality wood, it is necessary to look for alternative sources of wood, including in the field of thermal insulation materials, materials with a lower carbon footprint that can be produced from lower quality wood or from wood waste that would otherwise only have an energy use. The paper is devoted to the study and use of suitable wood waste and secondary raw materials from spruce wood (coarse wood chips, sawdust and wood flour) for the development of modern thermal insulations with the aim of an environmentally friendly and less energy-intensive production process compared to conventional insulants.

TESTING OF BLEACHING ON COCOBOLO (Dalbergia retusa Hemsl.,) WOOD

In this study, the effects of single and double component wood bleaching chemicals on the color parameters, glossines values and whiteness index values of cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa Hemsl.,) wood were investigated. Single and double component bleaching chemicals were applied to the wood material surfaces with the application technique in line with the company’s recommendations. Test measurements were made on bleached and unbleached wood materials. Obtained results were compared with each other. According to the determined results, lightness (L*) value, chroma (C*) value, red (a*) color tone, yellow (b*) color tone, hue (ho) angle value, glossiness values perpendicular to fibers (⊥) and parallel (║) directions at 60o, glossiness value at 85o in parallel (║) direction to the fibers, and whiteness index (WI*) values in perpendicular (⊥) and parallel (║) directions to the fibers were determined. The ∆E* values were found to be 10.22 in the double component and 2.31 in the single component. While the two-component bleaching chemical caused an increase in L*, b*, a*, C* and ho values, it caused a decrease in the one-component bleach chemical. All WI* values were increased with two component bleaching chemicals. The glossiness values at 60° in the perpendicular and parallel directions to the fibers were decreased with one component bleaching chemical. The bleaching chemicals used in the study caused different results on wood material surfaces.

탄소중립을 위한 순환자원 활용 시설재료의 성능분석

As the climate crisis and global environmental problems intensify, policies and technologies for reducing greenhouse gas in industry and life are being emphasized, and the development of eco-friendly synthetic materials with low environmental load while reinforcing the performance of natural materials with building or facility materials is becoming a useful strategy for industrialization of greenhouse gas reduction as well as technical aspects. This study was conducted to present basic data for using coffee ground, a circulating resource, as a material for synthetic wood. The possibility of using the leftover coffee grounds as an alternative facility to reduce the environmental load such as carbon emissions was confirmed by producing it as a synthetic deck material through a drying processing process. It was classified into Type I (50% coffee grounds), Type II (20% coffee grounds), and a control, and the quality suitability and performance with KS standards were verified when the content rates of coffee grounds and wood were different. Compared to KS standards (KSF 3230), the performance of synthetic wood deck materials that recycled coffee grounds satisfied the standards under all three types of experimental conditions, and in particular, it was found to be the best in Type I, which mixed coffee grounds ingredients and wood at a 50% ratio. Coffee grounds, which are circulating resources other than household waste, can be alternatives as sustainable materials with excellent performance that meets quality standards while minimizing environmental pollution or carbon emissions.

Changes in Wooden Tomb Rituals and Material Culture in Wooden Tombs in the Gimhae Region

Changes in Wooden Tomb Rituals and Material Culture in Wooden Tombs in the Gimhae Region

Enhanced photoacoustic signal processing using empirical mode decomposition and machine learning

ABSTRACT In this study, we propose a robust photoacoustic (PA) signal processing framework for a material independent defect detection using empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and machine learning algorithms. First, a database of the PA signals with 960 samples has been obtained from aluminium, iron, plastic and wood materials using a laser, microphone and data acquisition board-based PA apparatus. Second, the EMD based time and time-frequency domain techniques are proposed to extract robust cross-material feature space focusing on laser induced acoustic signal, and the decomposed intrinsic mode (IMF) with 14 extracted features are performed on totally 960 samples PA signals to evaluate k-nearest neighbour (k-NN), decision tree (DT) and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers. Inter- material and cross-material evaluations are performed, and the accuracy rates up to 100% for SVM and 97.77% for k-NN are yielded.

NYMPHA, a natural product for the conservation of ancient wood

In recent years, there has been a significant interest on sustainability and health-safety across various domains. Notably, many traditional chemicals employed in the preservation of Cultural Heritage pose environmental and human health risks. The NYMPHA project aimed to develop an eco-friendly solution using microalgae-derived polysaccharides to remove biological patinas from cultural heritage wooden materials, addressing sustainability and health concerns. To validate its efficacy, the product underwent testing on diverse woods such as silver fir, beech, and sessile oak, selected for their distinct anatomical characteristics. The analytical methodology involves three key steps: 1) determining the optimal extraction and application method through spectro-colorimetric measures and UV imaging; 2) evaluating surface color stability; and 3) assessing the product's effectiveness before and after exposure to a biological attack using spectro-colorimetry. Results indicate that the NYMPHA product can induce a color variation on some wood surfaces. Moreover, although it is reported that algae can have biocidal effects, in this experiment, this action is not observed probably due to the absence of sulphates in the polysaccharide molecule extracted from this specific strain. This emphasizes the necessity for further research and to explore new solutions beyond controlled laboratory conditions, specifically on naturally degraded materials.

A revised radiocarbon calibration curve 350-250 BCE impacts high-precision dating of the Kyrenia Ship.

The Kyrenia Ship, found off the north coast of Cyprus, is a key vessel in the history of scientific underwater excavations and in the history of Greek shipbuilding. The first volume of the site's final publication appeared in 2023 and provides detailed archaeological information tightly constraining the dating of the ship. A very specific date range is proposed: ca. 294-290 BCE, but is based on a less than certain reading of one coin recovered from the ship. While there is clear benefit to finding high-precision dates for the Kyrenia Ship and its rich assemblage using independent scientific dating (combined with Bayesian chronological modeling), efforts to do so proved more challenging and complex than initially anticipated. Strikingly, extensive radiocarbon dating on both wooden materials from the ship and on short-lived contents from the final use of the ship fail to offer dates using the IntCal20 calibration curve-the current Northern Hemisphere radiocarbon calibration curve at the time of writing-that correspond with the archaeological constraints. The issue rests with a segment of IntCal20 ca. 350-250 BCE reliant on legacy pre-AMS radiocarbon data. We therefore measured new known-age tree-ring samples 350-250 BCE, and, integrating another series of new known-age tree-ring data, we obtained a redefined and more accurate calibration record for the period 433-250 BCE. These new data permit a satisfactory dating solution for the ship and may even indicate a date that is a (very) few years more recent than current estimations. These new data in addition confirm and only very slightly modify the dating recently published for the Mazotos ship, another Greek merchant ship from the southern coast of Cyprus. Our work further investigated whether ship wood samples impregnated with a common preservative, polyethylene glycol (PEG), can be cleaned successfully, including a known-age test.

Prediksi Harga Material Bangunan Dengan Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (Arima) Pada CV. TJA

The problem most often faced by CV TJA is that the price from the RAB (Cost Budget Plan) calculation is not in accordance with market prices, so it is necessary to predict the price of building materials to help the company prepare the RAB. The aim of this research is to examine predictions of material prices measured using the ARIMA method. The data analysis method in this study used the MA parameter (1) with the ARIMA model (0,1,1) for dynamix cement material, the MA parameter (1) ARIMA model (0,2,1) for cast sand, the MA parameter (1 ) ARIMA model (0,3,1) for threaded iron 13 and AR parameter (2) ARIMA model (2,1,0) for usuk wood material. By using 3 error testing methods, namely Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) and Mean Squared Deviation (MSD). The results of this analysis show the lowest accuracy value, namely for dynamic cement material with a MAPE value of 5%, a MAD value of 1.986 and an MSD value is 63.584.667. The results of error tests using MAPE, MAD and MSD can be concluded that the ARIMA method is very accurate because the MAPE value is less than 10%.

Robust modeling of material flows to end‐uses under uncertainty: UK wood flows and material efficiency opportunities

AbstractIn this study we quantify wood flows from raw materials to end‐uses for the United Kingdom in a robust way using a new material flow analysis (MFA) model with uncertainty. This is important to identify opportunities for efficiency given constraints on wood supply. We have developed a new “ProbPACTOT” MFA model which introduces a systematic method to handle mixed units during reconciliation and uncertainty in data observations, conversion factors, and process recipes. This makes it possible to track material flows all the way to end‐uses, which is otherwise difficult because the diverse materials, data types, and units used to quantify end‐products are hard to integrate into standard allocation‐based MFA models. We apply the model for the case of wood in the United Kingdom by defining 56 process recipes and reconciling 117 data observations from various sources. The results quantify upstream production and trade flows, through to 19 specific end‐uses of wood fibers. We use this to show the potential scale of savings by enhancing material efficiency; for example, if pallets were used 25% more intensively, 0.49 0.2 of wood fibers could be saved, corresponding to 4%–7% of the total soft sawnwood consumption of the United Kingdom. Judging the scale of opportunities for wood material efficiency in the United Kingdom is important domestically, and has global significance as the United Kingdom is the second largest net importer of wood products in the world. Moreover, this study proposes an important advancement in MFA giving a structure for modeling uncertain material flows up to end‐uses, applicable to any material. This article met the requirements for a gold‐gold JIE data openness badge described at http://jie.click/badges.

Determining Moisture Content of Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)

Wooden load-bearing structures are becoming more common as an eco-friendly alternative to steel and concrete in large buildings. In these buildings, laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is increasingly used in structural building elements, particularly in the flanges of wooden I-beams. However, as for all products made from wood, proper moisture control is important to ensure the long-term integrity of the elements. The purpose of this study is to investigate the moisture properties of LVL and the correlation between moisture sensor readings and the actual moisture content determined from accurate weighing of the samples. Laboratory measurements were made of two different wooden materials using 20 identical sensors. The test was conducted on samples of LVL flanges delivered by the Norwegian wood production company Hunton, and on samples of pine lumber. The moisture sensors were delivered by Omnisense. For the LVL samples, the test results show that the resistance values given by the resistance method were too high compared to the more accurate gravimetric method. Conversely, the measured values were too low for the pine samples. LVL also had a faster moisture sorption than pine under the same moisture conditions. The glue between the veneer layers affects the electric conductivity of the wood in LVL and interrupts the readings. The glue might also affect the moisture sorption.

Akustična svojstva drvnih i nedrvnih materijala za izradu kućišta klavira

This article presents the possibilities of substituting expensive and scarce wood materials in the construction of piano cases, especially the front panels of upright pianos. Three-layer blockboard, multi-layer plywood, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), and Purenit were selected for the study. These materials were long-time climatised at 20 °C and 50 % relative air humidity. Their frequencies, damping coefficient and relative amplitude were measured. The density r, sound velocity v, dynamic modulus of elasticity E´, sound impedance Zn, and Acoustic Conversion Efficiency (ACE) were calculated. With the materials used to make the front panels of an upright piano, a subjective assessment of the instrument’s acoustic response was made. The presence of front panels of any type was found to have a negative effect on the sound except at low frequencies. With panels fitted, the best acoustic properties were achieved by blockboard, followed by plywood, MDF and Purenit panels in that order; this was affirmed by the subjective assessment. The best acoustic performance was achieved by blockboard and plywood. Taking both price and performance into consideration, MDF presented the best compromise. Purenit was ruled out due to its high damping properties.

Use of Spinning Rollers for Surface Densification of Wood

In this study, softwood cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani A.Rich.) and hardwood black poplar (Populus nigra L.), turned into cylinders by turning, were subjected to a surface densification process. Densification was carried out on the lathe using the spinning roller designed and manufactured for this purpose. Hardness, brightness and roughness (Rz) measurements were carried out on undensified and densified regions of the cylindrical solid wood materials. An increase in hardness and brightness and a decrease in roughness values occurred under all densification conditions. The highest surface hardness values occurred in cedar of Lebanon at 0.081 mm/rev feed, 200 rpm spindle speed, and 1 mm densification depth. On densified wood surfaces, as the feed from the densification parameters increases, the hardness decreases, and as the densification depth increases, the hardness increases-. The effect of surface densification parameters on the gloss and roughness results of the samples shows no linear effect in terms of experimental parameters. In both species, lower spring back was obtained at low depth of densification.

Synthesized high performance UV-cured wood wax oil using Irgacure 2959 modified thistle oil and linseed oil

With the reduction of petroleum resources and the intensification of environmental pollution, the development and application of bio-based coatings using renewable resources have become increasingly important in the wood working industry. Wood wax oil is a new bio-based natural coating that provides an environmentally friendly solution for wood preservation. The main challenges related to wood wax oil are slow drying speed and poor liquid resistance. To address this issue, wood wax oil was modified using Irgacure 2959, and the effects of the different concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.2 and 1.5 %) of Irgacure 2959 on the properties of ultraviolet (UV) wood wax oil were explored. X-ray photoelectron of spectroscopy analysis indicated that in a wood wax oil film containing 1.2 wt% Irgacure 2959, the C–C and CO conversion rates are 15.62 % and 25.30 %, respectively. Compared with regular wood wax oil films, the 1.2 % Irgacure 2959 wood wax oil film exhibited a notable 14.2 % decrease in surface roughness. The surface of the UV wood wax oil film exhibits hydrophobic properties, which are positively correlated with its roughness. 1.2 wt% Irgacure 2959 UV-cured wood wax oil with a hardness level of 3 H, an adhesion level of 1, a viscosity of 24.87 s, and a reduction in drying time from 1 h to 20 min. The weather resistance is better than that of the commercial wood wax oil. These findings underscore the potential and versatility of UV wood wax oil, capable of forming a low-roughness and high-gloss wax film on the surface of wooden materials, thus providing an environmentally friendly and non-toxic alternative.

To renovate or build with wood? Results from Finnish citizen survey data

Finland shows strong support for reducing its climate footprint originating from the built environment as part of the national carbon neutrality goal by 2035. Two prime examples are increasing wood use in construction and favoring building renovation to alleviate emissions from the use of virgin construction materials. However, the open question remains whether citizens also support these decarbonization pathways. By using national-level data from a randomly sampled citizen survey in Finland (n = 1448), we model citizen preferences to these two decarbonization pathways. The results suggest that a preference to renovate rather than to build anew is shown by respondents of the female gender; over 55 years of age; with a lower household equivalent income; and possessing housing property investment. Wood material is positively favored by respondents with higher age; a lower household equivalent income; living in smaller population centers in the countryside; and owning forestland. Interestingly, the effect of climate agency was negative in both models. This can be interpreted in the wood material case as reflecting conflicting views of negative environmental effects from forest harvesting to produce renewable building materials. In the renovation model case, we argue that the climatic impact of renovations remain weakly understood by citizens in Finland, given that the media and national regulations emphasize operational emissions. These results benefit both policy makers and municipal-level decision making in understanding of acceptability of wood material use and building retrofits among the general public.

Life cycle assessment of cross laminated timber: a systematic literature review

Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is an engineered wood material that has been used in civil construction in structural functions previously reserved for materials such as steel or concrete. As it is a renewable material and promotes carbon sequestration, its use in civil construction is linked to mitigating global warming promoted by the industry. However, the increase in demand for this material raises questions about sustainability and what the environmental burden would be resulting from its mass production. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an environmental management tool that can analyze this product chain as it maps and quantifies emissions and resource consumption from the production process, providing support for the calculation and analysis of environmental impacts. The goal of this study was to observe how the most recent research has been developed methodologically in terms of scope and what are the main scientific gaps presented in LCA studies of CLT material throughout its life cycle. To this end, a systematic literature review was carried out based on the Systematic Search Flow (SSF) method by Ferenhof and Fernandes (2014). The review points out the growing interest of the scientific community in the environmental profile of the product and the scope definitions were mostly cradle-to-grave study boundaries; the most applied functional unit is m² of building; impact analysis focus on quantifying global warming potential, energy resource consumption and carbon sequestration. The studies point to the end of life and the accounting of the material's biogenic emissions as scientific gaps, as well as the lack of studies with Brazilian data.