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Forest harvesting is one of the anthropogenic activities that most significantly affect the carbon budget of forests. However, the absence of explicit spatial information on harvested carbon poses a huge challenge in assessing forest-harvesting impacts, as well as the forest carbon budget. This study utilized provincial-level statistical data on wood harvest, the tree cover loss (TCL) dataset, and a satellite-based vegetation index to develop a Long-term harvEst and Allocation of Forest Biomass (LEAF) dataset. The aim was to provide the spatial location of forest harvesting with a spatial resolution of 30 m and to quantify the post-harvest carbon dynamics. The validations against the surveyed forest harvesting in 133 cities and counties indicated a good performance of the LEAF dataset in capturing the spatial variation of harvested carbon, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.83 between the identified and surveyed harvested carbon. The linear regression slope was up to 0.99. Averaged from 2003 to 2018, forest harvesting removed 68.3 ± 9.3 Mt C yr -1 , of which more than 80 % was from selective logging. Of the harvested carbon, 19.6 ± 4.0 %, 2.1 ± 1.1 %, 35.5 ± 12.6 % 6.2 ± 0.3 %, 17.5 ± 0.9 %, and 19.1 ± 9.8 % entered the fuelwood, paper and paperboard, wood-based panels, solid wooden furniture, structural constructions, and residue pools, respectively. Direct combustion of fuelwood was the primary source of carbon emissions after wood harvest. However, carbon can be stored in wood products for a long time, and by 2100, almost 40 % of the carbon harvested during the study period will still be retained. This dataset is expected to provide a foundation and reference for estimating the forestry and national carbon budgets. The 30 m × 30 m harvested-carbon dataset from forests in China can be downloaded at 10.6084/m9.figshare.23641164.v2 (Wang et al., 2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pine wood (PW) and beech wood (BW) are the most used wood in furniture and other applications owing to their unique characteristics and low machining cost. However, their biodegradability and varied moisture content limit their wider use and durability. Therefore, in this study, nanotechnology was used as a novel eco-friendly approach to enhance the durability, antimicrobial properties, and color of wood. Selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) were prepared in spherical shape at varied concentrations (25 and 50 mM) using an eco-friendly method in the range of 35–80 and 40–155 nm, respectively. Se-NPs formation at the nanoscale was confirmed using UV/Vis analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The prepared Se-NPs were then impregnated into PW and BW for different periods ranging from 2 h to 1 week. The treated wood were then leached in distilled water for 14 days to eliminate excess Se-NPs from the wood surface. The treated wood surfaces were examined using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, the depth of Se-NPs penetration into the treated wood at both tangential and radial sides was determined. Se-NPs impacts on the color properties, density, moisture content and antimicrobial activities of the treated wood were evaluated. PW treated with Se-NPs showed better antimicrobial and color characteristics than treated BW. PW samples immersed in 50 mM Se-NPs for 2 h showed the highest K/S values, whereas the highest antimicrobial values were obtained for those immersed at the same concentration for 2 days, and 1 week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An approach for the conservation of waterlogged wood veneered in ivory is described. • Dual evaluation performed on samples prepared in laboratory and on one original piece. • Laboratory samples were artificially degraded putting them in contact with brown rot. • Drying conditions were highly important for the success of the entire treatment process. • Approach applicable where suitable conservation methodology needs to be set-up. This work describes how a conservation method making use of aqueous solutions of lactitol and trehalose (9:1) was chosen to treat several elements of wood furniture veneered in ivory carved in bas-relief and preserved in waterlogged condition. These elements were discovered during the excavations carried out in Villa dei Papiri, the most famous of the luxury villas of Herculaneum. The approach described was based on a dual evaluation. It was carried out: (a) on probe wood specimens produced in the laboratory capable of simulating both the impregnability by consolidants and the deformation of decayed waterlogged wood; (b) on one archaeological element belonging to the original furniture, representative of the material to be treated. The probe specimens produced in the laboratory were artificially degraded by placing them in contact with the brown rot fungus Coniophora puteana , in order to obtain a material of variable decay, similar to that of the original archaeological furniture elements. Three experimental factors were considered when treating probe specimens: (a) the type of substrate, (b) the initial and final consolidant concentration and (c) the drying regime. Three types of substrates were considered: specimens covered with a polycarbonate sheet to simulate the ivory veneer and wrapped in gauze; specimens only wrapped in gauze; and naked specimens, that is, with no obstacles for consolidant penetration. Considering consolidant concentration, the probe specimens were impregnated by full immersion, increasing the concentration of lactitol/trehalose in four combinations: from 15 to 50%, 15 to 60%, 30 to 50%, and 30 to 60%. Last, three drying regimes were considered: 50 °C in an oven, 30 °C/35% RH and 20 °C/65% RH. Results showed that probe specimens whose impregnation started with 30% consolidant in the solution and finished in 60%, and dried under 30 °C and 35% RH exhibited limited volume variations after drying equivalent to those obtained by drying at 50 °C. Drying conditions were important factors in the success of the entire treatment process. As was consolidant uptake, in relation to the extent of decay of the archaeological material. Moreover, the presence of the physical barriers simulating the existence of the ivory veneers and gauzes did not disturb the efficacy of the treatment, as long as sufficient time was given to allow the water-consolidant exchange process to be completed. In the end, the treatment conditions selected on the basis of these probing tests, that is, start with initial concentration of 30%, final concentration of 60%, and drying at 30 °C/35% RH, showed to be successful for treating the representative element of the archaeological furniture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particleboards are the main material used in the production of furniture and furnishings. The shortage of wood raw material and the everincreasing amount of particleboards produced suggest a search for alternative raw material sources for this panel type. On the other hand, significant quantities of agro-industrial lignocellulosic residues are available worldwide. Such a type of residue is hemp shives. Basic joints in furniture frames are stapled joints, as it should be said that density is the main characteristic of particleboards, and their other properties strongly correlate with it. The present research studies the influence of the density of panels from hemp shives on their staple withdrawal resistance. For this purpose, panels from hemp shives with melamine-formaldehyde (MF) resin as an adhesive and densities from 600 kg.m-3 to 900 kg.m-3 were produced in laboratory conditions. The density of the panels varied with a step of 100 kg.m-3. As a result of the research, it was found that the staple withdrawal resistance of hemp shives particleboards from the edge and side of the panels increases almost twice with the increase of their density. It was also found that, unlike industrial particleboards, edge staple withdrawal resistance is higher in hemp shive panels than side staple withdrawal resistance. Laboratory-produced panels from hemp shives have a higher staple withdrawal resistance at similar densities than industrial particleboards. However, this is at the expense of using expensive MF resin and the significantly extended press factor. The main novelty of the research is the establishment of the effect of the density of hemp shive particleboards on their staple withdrawal resistance, as well as the demonstration of the possibility of producing panels from an alternative lignocellulosic raw material with a better staple withdrawal resistance than that of industrial particleboards manufactured from wood raw material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a circular and sustainable economy, the reuse of wood furniture parts has gathered increasing importance. Disassemblable joints and purposefully developed elements may support this reuse. Despite the relatively high number of structural connectors, newly developed fittings have appeared on the market, combining the advantages of the previous ones or introducing new solutions, like the Domino dowels and connectors developed to make strong hidden joints. In furniture manufacturing, both panel and frame elements are jointed for load bearing, semi-load bearing or non-load bearing connections. Metallic Domino connectors have recently been developed and recommended by the manufacturer only as connecting elements, and not as supporting elements of furniture constructions. In daily practice, the general consideration exists that these metallic connectors are strong enough to perform well also as load bearing elements. The main goal of this research was to examine the strength of corner (L) and T joints made with upper wood dowels and metallic connectors, in order to compare their performance. For the experiments, same sized wood dowels and metallic connectors were used. The tension and compression test results indicate that the type of joint (corner versus T) is a stronger influencing factor of performance than the type of jointing element (wood dowel vs. metallic connector). Domino dowels are manufactured in different sizes. Further research will focus on finding the wood dowel equivalent to a given metallic connector of different size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the stability of wood and decrease restrictions on its use in the furniture industry, hydrophobic modification can be employed to confer waterproof, anti-fouling, and self-cleaning properties. The present study outlines the preparation of silica sol using the sol–gel method, followed by impregnation and chemical vapor deposition methods to modify the sol. After grafting 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoro-decyl trichlorosilane (FDTS), hydrophobic and superhydrophobic properties were imparted to the wood substrate. To explore the correlation between the surface properties of the wood substrate and superhydrophobic coatings, the densities, porosities, and surface roughness of various tree species were compared. The results showed that the sol–gel method successfully constructed hydrophobic coatings on different wood substrates, with six samples (poplar, elm, toon wood, paulownia, ashtree, and black walnut) achieving superhydrophobic surfaces, with densities ranging from 0.386 to 0.794 g/cm3, porosity ranging from 13.66 to 42.36%, roughness ranging from 4.660 to 11.244 um, and maximum water contact angle of 165.2°. Whereas beech and rosewood only reach the hydrophobic surface. Although the coatings demonstrated good resistance to water, pollutants, self-cleaning, and chemical agents, further improvements are necessary to enhance mechanical wear resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composites are attracting the attention of researchers nowadays because of their strength-to-stiffness ratio. The development of wood particle composites reinforced for practical purposes has been successfully attempted. This paper focuses on the application of an epoxy/hardener ratio with wood particle-reinforced polymers to develop high-strength wood composites. The percentage of wood particles in the composition varied as follows: 5, 15, and 25 wt%, with epoxy/hardener ratios of 5:0.3, 10:1, and 5:0.8. Appropriate surface modifications were made by different treatments with 0.6, 0.8, and 1 g of NaOH in 10 liters of distilled water and 0.2% KMnO4 for better adhesion of particles and epoxy. Flexural strength, impact strength, water absorption, and SEM were investigated. Nine experiments were investigated based on the Taguchi orthogonal array blend design. The composite was successfully fabricated using the conventional hand lay-up technique. The highest mean S/N ratio considered was found for wood content composition (15%), epoxy resin to hardener ratio (10%), and NaOH (1%), i.e. the main factors affecting the mean flexural and impact strength were the wood particle contents in the matrix. Water absorption was investigated. Water absorption was found to increase with wood particle content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deformation of furniture units plays a significant role in their effective and efficient way of use during the overall service life. Accurate information on the deformation of different types of furniture members can be determined and evaluated by current testing methods. However, this will not only be expensive but also destructive. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to obtain initial data to predict the types and magnitudes of deformation which take place in various furniture works due to certain stress distribution. Such predictions were carried out by employing engineering analysis within the scope of the statistical approach. AutoCAD and SolidWorks software were used to design the furniture while the ANSYS finite element program route was employed for engineering analysis in this work. The joint types and stresses were applied as follows: dowel type joints having an equivalent stress level ranging from 0.20-0.96 MPa and a deformation level ranging from 0.001-0.82 mm; mortise and tenon joints having an equivalent stress level ranging from 0.17-2.68 MPa, deformation level ranging from 0.02-0.17 mm. Minifix type joints having an equivalent stress level ranging from 0.07-17.6 MPa, and a deformation level ranging from 0.03-1.42 mm. It appears that the engineering tools used in this study can successfully be applied to determine the deformation behaviors of furniture units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a bridge between circular economy issues and wood-based panels technology, especially particleboards. Because these composites contain a significant amount of non-wood raw material (10–12% thermoset resin, high hardness laminates, among others), their mechanical recycling leads to an uncontrollable reduction in produced particle size. This problem can be especially significant since the particleboards can be intended for multiple recycling due to the shortening of their service life. This research aimed to produce particles in the cycle of multiple re-milling particleboards and evaluate the selected properties of the produced particles and particleboards. Thus, the response to the following scientific problem can be given: what factors qualitatively and quantitatively influence the properties of the particleboards produced by multi-re-milled particles? The novelty of this research is the approach to recycling the raw materials from particleboards in fully controlled conditions, providing the characterization of produced particles and producing particleboards with close-to-industrial parameters, and, finally, evaluating the features of produced particleboards in the light of raw materials used. The results confirmed that subsequent mechanical recycling of particleboards, where the other panels are made entirely of second-milling particles, leads to an unprofitable and unacceptable reduction in the mechanical properties of the panels. The physical parameters, such as thickness swelling and water absorption, are improved, but this can be the result of increased content of chemical ingredients, which negatively influence the hygienic features of panels (emission of formaldehyde and total volatile organic compounds—TVOC). Further research should be directed towards estimating the optimal addition of mechanically recycled particles to particleboard production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

⑴ Background——China is the largest importer and fifth largest exporter of wood forest products, while the United States is the second largest importer and largest exporter of wood forest products in the world. Meanwhile, the US is the largest export and import trade partner of China’s wood forest products. The Sino-US trade friction initiated by the US in March 2018 involves the vast majority of wood forest products. Existing studies mainly focus on the impact of Sino-US trade friction on bilateral wood forest products trade and profit and loss, ignoring its overall impact on China’s international wood forest products trade. Measurement and analysis of the impact of Sino-US trade friction on China’s international trade of wood forest products is helpful for us to take corresponding measures to cope with the challenge of the Sino-US trade friction and ensure stable and healthy development of China’s wood forest products industry and international trade.⑵ Methods——From the three aspects of demand, supply and trade, 8 indicators that may have a great impact on import and 11 indicators that may have a great impact on export are selected. Based on the data from 2002 to 2017,the grey correlation analysis method is used to measure the grey correlation coefficient between different influencing factors and the import and export trade level of China’s overall wood forest products and the import and export trade level of the main wood forest products. Selecting strong correlation indicators to construct Multi-variable Grey Model MGM（1,N）,“Counterfactual reasoning method” is used to measure and analyze the impact of Sino-US trade friction since 2018 on the import and export of China’s wood forest products as a whole and the import and export of main wood forest products.⑶ Results——With the implementation of multiple rounds tariffs imposed by China and the US, under the dual effects of large country effect and the substitution effect of import and export markets, except for paper, paper products and wood products, trade amount and quantity of the import and export of China’s most wood forest products first increase and then decrease significantly. Further research shows that Sino-US trade friction significantly reduces the import cost of China’s main wood forest products, but has a large negative impact on China’s imports of logs and sawn timbers, it endangers China’s wood import safety, and worsens the export trade conditions of China’s main wood forest products, but the impact is quite different. China’s wooden furniture and plywood exports show a bad trend of an increase in export volume and a decrease in export prices. It can be seen that the profits from China’s wood forest products import trade increase significantly, while the profits from China’s wooden furniture and plywood export trade is damaged severely, and the export of China’s wooden furniture and plywood faces severe challenges.⑷ Conclusions and Discussions——China should recognize the positive and negative impacts of Sino-US trade friction, and accelerate the implementation of the “double cycle” strategy while continuing to strengthen the import diversification of logs and sawn timbers, reducing the high dependence on foreign timber resources and changing the export mode of “large quantity and low price” of Chinese wooden furniture and plywood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of this study is to assess consumer preferences in the Colombian Caribbean when purchasing furniture made with wood that is environmentally friendly. Reclaimed wood used in furniture contributed to the growth of the Colombian manufacturing industry by 26.1% in the year 2021. However, not 100% of this natural resource is used, generating waste that pollutes the environment. A quantitative analysis is performed and a validated instrument is applied to survey 384 economically active individuals. Data is processed by using SPSS statistics and by performing categorical analyses. The results show that the majority of respondents prefer products based on a combination of traditional and reclaimed wood, upholstered with natural materials, and with ecological paints and fillers. It is concluded that these preferences are fundamental to developing distinctive and environmentally-friendly products with high added value for consumers, society, and industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the main preferred woods for the furniture manufacture in the provinces of Pinar del Rio and Artemisa. The method used to measure the preferences of the specialists was the so-called Hierarchical Analysis Process through the application of a survey to 350 individuals related to the consumption of wooden articles. The results obtained allowed us to define that the most preferred woods for the production of furniture are Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq., Cedrela odorata L., Cordia gerascanthus (L.) Moldenke, Hibiscus elatus L. y Tectona grandis Sw. From the application of the hierarchical analysis of the species selection process, it is stated that the most accepted species is Swietenia mahagoni, presenting an acceptance range of 100 %. Respondents also state that the attributes associated with quality aspects have a great impact on the preference of the product over the designs, when the furniture is made of solid wood. Based on the forest management project of the Costa Sur (Artemisa), Pinar del Río and Macurije (Pinar del Rio) agroforestry companies, it was defined that Pinus caribaea var caribaea, Eucalyptus saligna, Samanea saman, Gmelina arborea y Acacia mangium have the potential to be used in the furniture industry based on their volumes and permanence in the forest heritage of the companies studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper has been developed based on the frame of an ERASMUS+ project, which have the following aims: to improve the environmental sustainability through education, to ensure a quality culture in VET programs; to enhance access to VET training and qualifications for all. The waste management principles need to be applied both in furniture and wood sector, in order to reduce considerable in the next years the amount of wood waste. In this regard, special attention should be paid to the most efficient use of wood resources, as well as to apply methods to transform them into value added products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timber extraction sector in the Amazon greatly contributes to the local, regional and national economy, as well as to the generation of jobs and economic growth. However, the sector faces difficulties as the lack of policies and actions towards the consolidation of a forestal base that can supply the demands from who depends on timber for raw material in the smaller municipalities of the Amazon, like Óbidos-PA. In this sense, this study looks to identify by means of perceptual study, information about the local forestal production towards furniture construction and small naval vessels in Óbidos, highlighting the socioeconomic importance of these practices and the main bottlenecks in the productive chain of timber. A semi-structured questionnaire has been applied, through interviews with key players involved in the business, like entrepreneurs, institutions representatives and business owners, using a non-probabilistic method known as snowball and the law of information access. The obtained results shown that the rising scarcity of raw materials obtainable from legal means encourages predatory practices of timber extraction, which causes forest degradation and hinders the timber supply chain in the city and region, as well as the lack of policies that take into account the local reality, the lack of technical assistance and the bureaucracy in the regulation haltes advancement in the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The choice for wood and composite based furniture in three zones of Otukpo Local Government Area (LGAs) was assessed. Google form structured questionnaire was administered in the three purposely selected Wards: Otukpo Town Central, Otukpo Town East and Otukpo Town West based on population dispersion. Simple Random Sampling technique was used to administer 300 copies of structured questionnaire to respondents in 300 households as: 120 respondents in Otukpo Town Central and 90 in each of Otukpo Town East and Otukpo Town West respectively. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that female respondents constituted 62.33% while males 37.67%. Respondents were mostly youths between 21-30 years (30.67%) and 31-40 years (27.33%) who majorly have tertiary education (68.67%). Respondents were married (55.67%), single (40%), traders (42%) and 23% were civil servants. Most of the households sampled had bed (93%) which was 94.4% wood-based while 59.4% wall hanger used by respondents was composite-based. Respondents (84%) preferred wood-based furniture while 15% used and preferred both wood and composite based furniture. Although respondents (91.4%) preferred wood-based furniture because of its durability, 44.1% chose composite-based furniture because some households were using them. Also, 28.8% preferred composite-based because of low cost of purchase. The majority of respondents (95.7%) desired locally made furniture as 97.7% agreed that the decline in wood supply will affect the choice of furniture type in the future. It was concluded that based on fast decline in wood supply because of ever increasing deforestation as acknowledged by respondents, this trends would definitely attract upsurge in demand for composite-based furniture in Otukpo town in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The detection of asthma and rhinitis in furniture workers exposed to chemicals in the area of Thessaloniki Greece and the determination of the most useful tests for diagnosing the above occupational diseases. Methods: Eighty-three workers (76 men), 35 exposed to chemicals (CW), 23 to wood dust (WW), and 25 office workers (OW), serving as controls, filled in a specialized European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) questionnaire for asthma and were submitted to clinical evaluation, spirometry, bronchodilation test, PEF computer algorithm OASYS-2, FeNO, skin prick tests (SPTs), rhinomanometry and methacholine inhalation challenge. Working conditions and protective measurements were also recorded. According to the results of all conducted tests, each subject was distributed to a subgroup: (a) normal, (b) asthma, (c) rhinitis, (d) asthma and rhinitis. Comparisons were performed among work groups. Results: The presence of asthma and/or rhinitis was higher among CW and WW compared to OW (p = 0.004). Significant differences among groups were observed in the questions «better weekend» (p < 0.034) and "improvement on vacation» (p < 0.000), in OASYS-2 Score (p < 0.000), in ABC Score (p < 0.000), and in methacholine score (p < 0.022). Rhinomanometry, FeNO, spirometry, and spirometry after bronchodilation had no significant differences among groups. Working conditions, ventilation system, work practice, use and type of mask revealed no significant differences. Conclusion: Asthma and rhinitis are significantly common among CW. Protective measurements used were not adequate to prevent asthma and or work related rhinitis. Early diagnosis might contribute to disease prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification and reduction of residues generated through wood conversion are important in wood resources management. This study was carried out, to contribute to this, by using air-dried sawnwood from three tropical hardwood (Afzelia africana, Milicia excelsa and Tectona grandis) with mean dimension 117x305x1830mm to produce furniture parts of dimensions 25(+3)mm x 600(+20) mm/900(+20) mm/120(+20) mm/150(+20) mm/180(+20) mm/2100(+20)mm with the generated wood residues categorised and quantified. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, least significant difference for separating means and regression analysis having technical and economical residues as dependent variables for the three species. Mean total input volume ranged from 23.11±2.98m³ to 24.63±0.55m³ for A. africana and T. grandis respectively while that for gross and net output volume ranged from 12.01±1.78m³ to 16.44±0.38m³ and 9.52±1.42m³ to 14.44±0.38m³ for A. africana and T. grandis respectively. Economical residues ranged from 2.00±0.10m³ to 2.49±0.40m³ and economical residues as percentage of gross output volume ranged from 12.23±0.64m³ to 20.73±2.59m³ for T. grandis and A. africana respectively while the range was from 10.19±0.25m³ to 13.59±1.83m³ for T. grandis and A. africana respectively for total volume of residues. Additionally, mean percentage gross and net recovered volume ranged from 50.27±2.42% to 67.22±0.34% and 41.21±2.32% to 58.58±0.62% for A. africana and T. grandis respectively. Total percentage volume of residues was least for T. grandis (41.42±0.62%) and highest for A. africana (58.79±2.32%). Based on these outcomes, it was recommended that increased effort is needed to improve capacities and facilities for lesser generation of residues during mechanical wood processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fire-resistant & waterproof coatings for wood protection are highly demanded to reduce fire risk and save lives because wooden furniture and in-house decorations are widely used in our daily life. Herein, an eco-friendly and facile method was proposed to prepare such coatings, where a waterborne polyurethane (WPU) with non-volatility was blended with commercial flame retardants. A coating of ∼250 μm could generate charcoal of ∼10 mm that the painted plywood could withstand burning for ∼20 min. For the purpose to turn the hydrophilic WPU into water-repellent coating, hydrophobic nano-SiO 2 were sprayed onto the surface to assemble into hierarchical structure. Consequently, the coating showed strong water repellency and the water contact angle arose from ∼89° to ∼157°. This method is conducive to the industrial production of fire-resistant and waterproof coatings due to its green and easy-to-scale up features, which will benefit thousands of households. [Display omitted] • A universal method for fire-resistant and waterproof coating is proposed. • This method is green, low cost, effective and easy to be scale-up. • Plywood painted by an ∼250 μm coating can withstand burning for 20 min. • The painted surface is strongly water repellent that water contact angle is >150°. • The coating is suitable for protection of wood and other combustible substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This analysis is based on the investigation of Romanian-vernacular built environment and the specific structures used in traditional vernacular architecture and furniture that inspire it on a conceptual level. This was possible by researching settlements specially chosen for determining what the main characteristics of vernacular are, based on the following criteria: presence of specific structures in the construction and furniture, diversified utilisation patterns of wooden species, architectural and furniture joints, scale, proportion and general characteristics of the interior space. The case studies illustrate and provide some conclusions in this regard but they provide also an additional practical experience to the theoretical analysis through on-site investigation. The purpose of the research in the village of Stroești, situated in Argeș County, was to investigate and evaluate a series of rural landmarks that can provide the necessary data to draw conclusions regarding the forms of manifestation of specific vernacular architecture and based on this experience to be able to outline a guide containing concepts for value-adding in contemporary design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classification of wood types plays an important role in many fields, especially in construction industry and furniture manufacturing. In order to manufacture rubber wood furniture with highly uniform color and texture, wood boards of different colors and textures should be classified elaborately. Many traditional methods have been applied in wood classification relying on extracting features using handcrafted descriptors designed by experienced experts, but it is not easy to construct robust features in various conditions. In this article, we present a split-shuffle-residual (SSR)-based CNN that can learn features automatically from wood images for real-time classification of rubber wood boards. Specifically, we introduce an SSR module that combines channel split and shuffle operations with residual structure to reduce the computation cost while maintaining high classification accuracy. In each module, the input is split into two low-dimensional branches, and the channel shuffle operation is used to enable the information communication between the input and the two separated branches, which is regarded as the feature reuse that enlarges network capacity without increasing complexity. The comprehensive experiments demonstrate that our algorithm outperforms other traditional classification methods and the state-of-the-art deep learning classification networks, yielding an accuracy of 94.86%. Furthermore, the analysis of running time indicates that the SSR-based CNN can be employed for wood classification in real time, which takes only 26.55 ms to handle a single image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imported wood resources, especially yellow poplar and Chinese poplar, are increasingly evident in the Malaysian furniture sector due to declining supply of domestic wood materials. In order to reverse this trend, paulownia, a fast-growing forest plantation tree species, is emerging as an alternative wood material source. This study evaluated the mechanical strength, including fatigue life, machining, adhesive bond, screw withdrawal, and finishing properties of paulownia against the imported wood of yellow poplar and Chinese poplar. The results revealed that paulownia has better properties than Chinese poplar, but it is inferior to yellow poplar due to its lower density. In terms of fatigue strength, all the wood species performed comparably equal, with the allowable design stress set at 40% of the wood species' respective ultimate bending strength. Against these findings, paulownia is a promising alternative wood resource for furniture manufacturing in Malaysia, and it could possibly replace the imported yellow poplar and Chinese poplar. Nevertheless, the successful application of paulownia for furniture manufacturing will depend on its supply volume and economics in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the impact of daylit wooden environments on human perception and well-being. Several studies have shown that the use of wood in furniture, interior surfaces, and decoration helps create warm, bright, and pleasant ambiences, enhancing psychological well-being and comfort when compared to other materials. The main objective of this research was to assess the effects of different colors, finish, and ratio of wooden surfaces combinations on human perception. More specifically, participants compared simultaneously five different interior wooden scale models of room environments under the natural light of the northern hemisphere in terms of their appreciation, visual comfort, and well-being. The survey involved 80 participants with an exploratory questionnaire in order to compare and classify the different models. Conclusions showed a preference for clear, bright, and warm models for cognitive and smallscale tasks. Darker models in terms of reflectance and lighting ambiences were the least preferred, especially for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Existing life cycle assessment (LCA) studies for furniture focus on single pieces of furniture and use a bottom‐up approach based on their bill of materials (BOM) to build up the data inventories. This approach does not ensure completeness regarding material and energy fluxes and representativeness regarding the product portfolio. Integrating material and energy fluxes collected at company level into product LCA (top‐down approach) over‐rides this drawback. This article presents a method for systematic LCA of industrially produced furniture that merges the top‐down approach and bottom‐up approach. The developed method assigns data collected at the company level to the different products while, at the same time, considering that wood‐based furniture is a complex product. Hence, several classifications to reduce the complexity to a manageable level have been developed. Simultaneously, a systematic calculation routine was established. The practical implementation of the developed method for systematic LCA is carried out in a case study within the German furniture industry. The system boundary was set in accord with the EN 15804 specification cradle‐to‐gate‐with‐options. The analysis therefore includes the manufacturing phase supplemented by an end‐of‐life scenario. The case study shows that the manufacturing of semifinished products (especially wood‐based panels and metal components) as well as the electric energy demand in furniture manufacturing account for a notable share of the environmental impacts. A sensitivity analysis indicates that up to roughly 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions are not recorded when conducting an LCA based on a BOM instead of applying the developed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Malaysian furniture industry is the country's fastest growing subsector within the wood-based industry, and its socio-economic importance cannot be taken lightly. The industry is driven primarily by comparative advantages derived from low cost factor inputs, which has eroded in recent years due to escalating production cost. Further, the increasing competition from other cheaper producing nations, particularly China and Vietnam, is also putting a damper on the future competitiveness of the industry in Malaysia. To remain competitive, the Malaysian furniture industry must transform and advance the value-chain through innovation and value-addition. Although the government has played a pivotal role in providing a broad policy framework to support value-adding and innovative activities, success has been limited. This study evaluated the extent of innovation and its sources in the Malaysian furniture industry through an internet-based survey. The results indicated that external sources of innovation were more important than internal sources. The factor analysis showed that external inputs, market demand, and in-house research and development were the most important drivers of the innovation in the Malaysian furniture industry. Therefore, the furniture industry in Malaysia will require policy support to enhance its inherent capability for innovation in the long-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigation on three commercial products used to clean varnished wooden furniture. • Non-destructive method for the study of interactions of wood with cleaning products. • Relevant for conservation treatments of wooden furniture in historical collections. The Royal Palace of Norway has a large 19th century wooden furniture collection and most of it is coated with shellac-based varnishes. Since these objects are part of the royal collections, they are still in daily use at the different residences and, therefore, need to be frequently cleaned. In this work, the effect of three cleaning commercial products (Baolin, Centurio, Fulgentin) used at the royal collections on shellac-coated mahogany is investigated for the first time. A non-invasive methodology (portable ER-FTIR spectroscopy and colorimetry) was applied to assess whether the chemical composition and the color of fresh and artificially aged mahogany wood mock-ups coated with shellac were affected by the above-mentioned cleaning products. This study shows that one of them causes changes in the varnished wood, thus potentially affecting the long-term conservation of this furniture collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Brosimum wood; case report; catholic bracelet; coumarins; patch test; wood EN Brosimum wood case report catholic bracelet coumarins patch test wood 71 73 3 06/19/20 20200701 NES 200701 Wood is used to manufacture furniture, household utensils, musical instruments, and ornaments such as crafts jewelry. Brosimum wood, case report, catholic bracelet, coumarins, patch test, wood. [Extracted from the article]

Museum objects are often highly complex and composed of materials with varying properties, some of which may have changed as a result of ageing and/or conservation treatments. Research into defining sustainable environmental conditions by balancing energy cost and risk to these vulnerable objects has mainly focused on experiments in laboratories with new, single materials or on computer modelling, but only to a limited extent on actual objects. This paper presents a method to collect empirical data from a large group of decorated wooden panels in order to investigate the effects of humidity fluctuations on these objects and relate them to their material properties and construction. Wooden panels were chosen as they are regarded to be particularly sensitive to fluctuations in relative humidity. The fluctuations may cause the wood to shrink and swell and can result in open glue joints, cracks, and deformation of the panels as well as losses and cracks in the decorative layers. Empirical data are scarcely available as yet but are essential to study relationships between material properties, type of construction, damage, and as input and validation for modelling and experimental studies. The method, referred to as the Rijksmuseum Study, was performed on a group of 300 objects from the furniture and paintings collections of the Rijksmuseum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the effect of different machining processes on wood surface roughness was studied. There were applied three main furniture manufacturing processes, respectively planning, routing and sanding. The sanding process was applied twice, respectively with 100 and 120 grit sandpapers. The study was focused on two main native wood species, beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and fir (Abies alba Mill.). The specimen samples were sawn with dimensions 90×8×2 cm, with 11% moisture content. For each machine were processed two specimens from each species. Routing process was carried out after planning, as well as sanding. Sanding process with 120 grit paper was conducted after the 100 grit process, respecting so the processing line applied by manufacturing sector. For measurement of surface roughness was applied the direct contact method. This method reproduces the surface profile by means of contact stylus profilometer, making so possible the calculation of arithmetic mean deviation of the profile, maximum two point height of the profile, mean roughness depth and root-meansquare deviation of the profile. The measurements were performed in ten different clear wood points for each specimen. Results showed that fir wood gave the same class of roughness for all machining processes, respectively 8. Regarding to beech wood, planning and routing processes gave the same roughness class, equal with those of fir, while sanding gave a higher class for both numbers of sandpapers, respectively 9. The results obtained present useful information for furniture manufacturing sector, by the cost effective viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the feasibility of improving the mechanical properties of a high solid content UV-curable acrylic coating system through the addition of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) was examined. The CNC was rendered hydrophobic by using a cationic surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA), to make it compatible with the matrix polymer and facilitate proper dispersion. Two different amounts (1 and 3%) of modified CNC were added to the coating system. Tensile strength and modulus of elasticity (MOE) of coating films were affected positively by the addition of CNC. Hardness, measured both by König pendulum and pencil methods, was found to increase as CNC loading increased in the coatings. Mass loss due to abrasion resistance tests was reduced by the addition of CNC. The results of this research showed that CNC is an ideal reinforcing nanoparticle which can positively affect the mechanical performance of coating systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was carried out to assess the dust emission and working conditions in the bamboo and rubberwood furniture manufacturing industries in Malaysia. The emission of wood dust arising from these industries was measured in each main work station in the mills. Meanwhile, a questionnaire-based survey was conducted among 5900 workers in 45 companies to obtain information on the occupational accidents that occurred in the mills. The data were collected, compiled, and analyzed using the SPSS package. The highest dust emission from the sanding operation resulted in respiratory ailments among workers. The occurrence of injuries particularly to the hand, wrist, fingers and forearm was due to the prevailing working conditions, safety climate and workers characteristics. The dust exposure levels and working conditions were much more severe in the bamboo furniture manufacturing industry. As a result, a review of existing of dust exposure levels in the woodworking industry is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wooden artefacts, wood painted panels and historic furniture represent a significant part of our cultural heritage. Their preservation over time is a challenging task, and insect infestation still represents a primary cause of loss of cultural heritage artefacts. Anoxic conditions have proved to be effective in pest control and have been extensively applied to the management of museum collections. The present work reports on the evaluation of the effects and harmfulness of nitrogen-based anoxic treatment on different wood species with or without superficial finishings. Specimens were prepared in order to be representative of various surfaces of cultural heritage objects. A complete monitoring of the treatment effects was performed by means of a multianalytical approach. FTIR spectroscopy in the MID-IR and NIR regions was conducted to assess the absence of chemical alterations, and the results were subjected to chemometric treatment by multivariate analysis. Colorimetric characterization of the surfaces was performed to monitor any undesired colour change induced by the conservation treatment. The absence of superficial mechanical damages was evaluated by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results confirmed that the anoxic procedure is not harmful to the treated surfaces with respect to aesthetic, chemical and microstructural considerations, even when the most stressful conditions are applied. As wood permeability is an important parameter in order to plan an effective intervention, in this study, a simplified method to estimate the permeability of wood to oxygen in different conditions was tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of small-scale businesses within most national economies is generally high, especially in developing countries. Often these businesses have a weak economic status and limited environmental awareness. The type and amount of waste produced, and the recycling methods adopted by these businesses during their operation can have negative effects on the environment. This study investigated the types of waste generated and the recycling methods adopted in micro-sized enterprises engaged in the manufacture of furniture. An assessment was also made of whether the characteristics of the enterprise had any effect on the waste recycling methods that were practised. A survey was conducted of 31 enterprises in the furniture industry in Gumushane province, Turkey, which is considered a developing economy. Surveys were undertaken via face-to-face interviews. It was found that medium-density fibreboard (MDF), and to a lesser extent, chipboard, were used in the manufacture of furniture, and two major types of waste in the form of fine dust and small fragments of board are generated during the cutting of these boards. Of the resulting composite board waste, 96.9% was used for heating homes and workplaces, where it was burnt under conditions of incomplete combustion. Enterprises were found to have adopted other methods to utilise their wastes in addition to using them as fuel. Such enterprises include those operating from a basement or first floor of a building in the cities, those continuing production throughout the year, those in need for capital and those enterprises not operating a dust-collection system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to provide information on the mobility of formaldehyde within a mattress of particles during hot-pressing. To this end, adhesive-free mattresses of virgin wood particles, which contain either a small dose of formaldehyde solution or slices of 'old' particleboard placed in one corner of the mattresses, were hot-pressed, cut into standard samples and then tested via EN 717-2. The results indicate that formaldehyde is mobile such that the emission levels across the samples were fairly consistent. Strips that contained high quantities of old furniture, however, still exhibited higher emissions than samples that did not contain old furniture particleboard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although powder coatings have had a long history in metal-related industries, it is a relatively new technology for the furniture industry. However, its application on wood-based panels which are non-conductive and sensitive to high temperatures has rapidly increased with developments in low-temperature curing powder coatings and the production of special-grade MDF (medium density fibreboard) panels. Solvent based-paints are still the most used coatings in the furniture industry, followed by water based paints, and powder coatings. However, government legislation on the toxic chemicals used in solvents, particularly in relation to human health, has increased the consciousness of people which has forced furniture producers to use modern and environmentally friendly coating systems. There are many advantages of using powder coatings such as them being non-toxic, cost-effective, easy application, and durable to weathering. The powder coatings industry has recently developed low-temperature curing powders and process parameters for wood-based substrates, in particular for MDF. Regular MDF panels are not suitable for powder coating applications because the raw material characteristics, production processes, surface treatments, and storage conditions should be formulated according to powder-grade MDF requirements. MDF producers and furniture companies need to be informed about the details of the application process and key precautions. In this study, the powder coatings market, application processes, required characteristics of the MDF substrate, technological developments and recent studies are extensively given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are about 300 companies producing furniture and about 250 small and medium enterprises (SME) producing sawn timber, which operate in the field of wood industry in Albania. This wood industry production is being challenged by the increasing demand in the domestic market, ranging from kitchen furniture to office and schools furniture, bedroom furniture, doors, windows, and saw timber in different dimensions. The production from the wood industry can fulfill about 80% of the domestic market demand. The remaining 20% of domestic market needs in wood furniture are afforded by import. Small entities do not make serious investment in technology. Big enterprises such as Ardeno in Tirana, Biçaku in Durres, Shaga in Tirana, Ital-wood in Elbasan, Dafinori in Shkoder, etc., have made remarkable investments in their technology. They have installed several mechanized lines of production. So, Ital-wood has invested in a mechanized saw timber production line; Bicaku in wood panels coated with PVC lines; Dafinori in a wood handrail production technologic line; Ardeno in wooden chairs production technologic lines, and Shaga in the production of furniture with particle panels. These enterprises are using modern numerical command machines, vacuum presses for gluing PVC, cutting equipment for panels with laser ray, finishing lines with electrostatic field, modern lines of pneumatic transport for wood dust etc. These investments in new technologies have increased the quantity and quality of native wood products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many companies provide well-designed furniture, at a low price and in almost all cases this means wood particle boards or fibreboards. Solid wood furniture has become a luxury, thus the market has oriented to the cheaper materials (wood based panels) for furniture manufacturing, so as to broaden the population segment that addresses. These materials, such as, particle board (PB), medium-density fibreboard, (MDF) and plywood contain formaldehyde, which is released in our living spaces in some amount. The acceptable level of formaldehyde emission has decreased dramatically and regulations have been established by some institutions to set emission limits for all products manufacturers. This study aims to analyse the formaldehyde emission from wood based panels found on the Romanian market and its integration in the standard limits. Panels like particle board, fibreboard and plywood were tested in order to evaluate the formaldehyde emission by the gas analyse method at a temperature of 60°C and a constant air flow. It was found that formaldehyde emissions from plywood and PB samples are in the limit permitted by EN 13986:2005 standard, for E1- class. In contrast with these results, emissions from MDF samples were higher, exceeding the standard limits. The issue of formaldehyde emission from these MDF panels is probably related to the bonding adhesives used in the production. Furniture made of these boards could be dangerous for people health, and producers should be aware about the E2 class panels' uses indoor and severe measures of control should be taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of the panel type, connector type, and anchorage location on load bearing capacity and stiffness of four-sided furniture cases. Real size (1/1 scale) four sided case specimens were constructed of three different wood based panel. Corner joints of four sided cases were connected with two different ready to assemble (RTA) joint techniques including trapez and minifix fasteners. Four sided cases were anchored to the wall from side panels and top panel with L-shape metal connectors. Loading procedures of American National Standards Institute/Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association were followed during the static tests. Loads were applied from top panel's surface with a loading strap. According to results, four-sided cases constructed of 18mm MDF showed higher load carrying capacity and stiffness values than those of 16mm MDF and 18mm PB cases. The cases assembled with trapez connectors yielded higher load carrying capacity and stiffness values than the cases assembled with minifix connectors. Based on the results, it can be concluded that in general, a four-sided case anchored on side panels has a significantly higher load carrying capacity than the one anchored on top panel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to approach aspects of seat design according to the properties and characteristics imposed by the object of the analysis. Capitalizing on the resources offered by the study of important contemporary furniture designed for a relaxed seating alleviates the functional and ergonomic problems arising when designing such a product. The design approach of this furniture piece aims at an innovative and attractive esthetical attitude, and is meant to offer a high level of comfort, typical for such a product. The main focus is towards optimising the seat and back position, in close relation with the technical possibilities and material properties. Through the references brought in by current standards and functional research we can notice their influence on deciding upon the sizes and forms of the structural elements. The analysis has provided solutions concerning economy of materials through capitalizing upon methods of joining the structural elements. The product is built up from straight and curved elements, which bring advantages of an aesthetic order, however having different production costs in relation to workability. The proposed wood species to be used is Fraxinus excelsior -- ash, which gives the product a lower weight, good impact resistance and easy processing. The adequate use of assembly parts and joining methods has heightened the stability of the product, a factor which makes it also more viable. The usage of demountable parts offers definite advantages for both producers and consumers, such as reduction of required storage spaces, economy of transportation stemming from the reduced packaging sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since ancient times, improving the living environment in general and housing in particular has been humanity's primary concern, the interior reflecting the lifestyle and social fabric of community residents. Thus the gate, house, furniture, household tools, there are simple objects made of wood, but the creator, using the beauty of wood essence, transformed them by adding a decoration done by multiple techniques and created works of art. By customizing useful objects, the home is developed in conjunction with remarkable moments of human life, and has printed its own and unique identity given by the ones who live in it. At the same time, the interior bears the essential features of a historical era. So the chairs from the middle of XIX century and XX century from Maramures, Lapus, Chioar and Codru studied are examples of vigorous treatment of wood. These are generally made by the owner of the household, each seat is suitable for one family member. As a result, common in the rural houses, there are no two identical chairs. We have also noticed that the wood core is taken into account to elevate the look and small ornaments are excluded, the embellishments being used only on large areas. So the anonymous craftsmen were able to respond to the human necessities in each historical period, folklore remaining an inexhaustible source of inspiration for contemporary creation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wood industry has once again changed and distanced the poles of raw material acquisition, processing and markets. After the political reforms of 1989 in Eastern Europe and Russia, the biggest capacities for the panel production moved from Western and Central Europe to the East including also Turkey. Also the furniture production followed the same transfer direction. The large research centers and higher education institutions of Eastern Europe were reintegrated and reformed during these decades in order to be able to survive the economic and political changes. At the same time, pressure from Western countries on the new European countries and members of the EU was high and resulted in a decline of the wood processing industries and massive closures of the state companies. The massive immigration of high qualified personnel from East to West and the transfer of the production capacities from Western to Eastern part of Europe in order to avoid higher salaries, high environmental requirements and expensive round wood had a major impact on the quality and number of higher education institution and of course, the no. of students in both regions. The effects of these developments during the past two decades have been dramatic for wood-based industries in Europe. Imports from multinational corporations, combined to lower exports of own products and furniture at low margins impacted the industry. The number of students reduces while the no. of new universities of applied sciences with wood technology, furniture design and building program increased especially in the German speaking countries. The (sometimes local) governmental support of the new universities of applied sciences and established older faculties declined. The impact of the Bologna agreement drastically reformed the state institutions by leveling the differences between classical faculties and universities of applied sciences in the bachelor and master courses. The expansion of the EC to the East improved the situation, as foreign companies invested modern processing facilities and created new jobs in Eastern Europe including Russia and Turkey. A dramatic situation after the start of the economic crisis has to face the last years North America, especially USA, due to the low processing of round wood, massive closures of wood processing companies and low request from the national market for forest products. Also, higher education faculties are forced to change the names of the institutions to avoid using "wood processing" due to the pressure from environmental protection side. South-East Asia is continuing to dynamically increase the capacities for modern wood processing and no. of higher education centers. China became the absolute leader in the round, sawn wood and chips importation and also, for the panel, paper and furniture production reaching the no. 1 worldwide. South America is on a positive course by continuing the successfully rapid growing trees plantation forest programs and specializing the processing industry on this raw material. The traditional trade markets of North America changed for Asia, especially China, Japan, South. Russia stopped the free exportation of logs to Europe but is continuing to support exportation to China. This has made the start of companies with foreign capital easier and concentrated industries for the European part market. The higher education and research in wood science seems to be in a crisis due to the competition of other study programs but also the decrease of the no. of students. An interesting and successful development from the industry and higher education point of view in between the two continents is in Turkey. A short presentation of each main high educational center for wood science and technology in Europe will be given in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to develop mathematical model and computational procedure for optimisation of feed rate at CNC routing operations of wooden furniture parts. The proposed approach takes into consideration special characteristics of solid wood, like changes in cutting forces and obtained surface quality along with cutting direction. A multistage optimisation procedure is developed, which employs binary search method and genetic algorithm. Because of the problem of full specification of feasible region in the form of inequalities, a fuzzy logic is used for correction of intermediate results within computational procedure. The developed method is verified by optimisation of routing operation of a typical furniture part, i.e. commode top. As a result of optimisation, the processing time is reduced by 54 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Furniture collections can be key in the interpretation of historic houses to visitors, providing a link to their own homes and making houses seem inhabited. The ornate and highly decorative surfaces reflect not only the aesthetic taste of the period, for example chinoserie inspired lacquerware, but also the design and craft expertise and manufacturing skills required to produce the objects. These surfaces can demonstrate the effects of time, having been subjected to the surrounding environment within the property. For highly decorated surfaces, such as veneer and marquetry, this can include loss of material, lifting veneers, fading of wood and its finishes, along with cracks, splits, flaking, and warping. Preventive conservation seeks to minimize the risk to collections by optimizing the display and storage parameters. However, research on these materials to determine the optimal display conditions can be limited, insufficient, or even entirely absent. This review presents the available information for related wooden collections within the literature and highlights the limitations of these data for preventive conservation decision making. The focus of the review is on the effects of relative humidity, as there are significantly more data available on this parameter than others such as temperature, light, or pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the environmental impacts associated with Small Scale Wood Industries (SSWl) in Ikot Expene town, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Three (3) industrial locations, namely sawmill (SM), Furniture (F) and Wood Carving (WC), including a Control (C) were randomly sampled for the study. Data were collected with the aid of measurements, using standard instruments, and compared with those of National (FMENV) and International (WHO) regulatory limits. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistics was used in data analysis. Results revealed that the measured environmental parameters (air quality, soil and noise pollutions) did not differ significantly (P<0.05) from the 3 industrial locations, but significant differences between the various locations and control were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acest studiu evaluează impactul asupra mediului al întreprinerilor mici din industria lemnului (SSWl), în oraşul Ikot Expene, statul Akwa Ibom, Nigeria. Trei (3) locații industriale au fost alese la întâmplare şi anume gaterul (SM), mobila (F) şi atelierul de sculptură (WC), inclusiv controlul (C). Datele au fost culese prin măsurători, cu instrumente standard, comparându-se valorile obținute cu cele reglementate la nivel național (FMENV) şi internațional (WHO). Pentru datele rezultate s-a realizat analiza statistică de variație (ANOVA). Rezultatele au arătat că parametrii de mediu măsurați (calitatea aerului, poluarea solului şi poluarea sonoră) nu diferă semnificativ (P<0.05) pentru cele trei locații industriale, dar s-au obținut diferențe semnificative între aceste locații şi control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to assess the market potential and perceptions of oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) particleboards in Malaysia's wood-based industries, including furniture. The results of the assessments were based on the reasons and opinions raised by the wood-based product manufacturers and users. The assessment was conducted through a survey which involved 300 respondents during Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) and Malaysian Furniture Exporters Exhibition (MAFEX) in March 2009 with the aims to investigate the manufacturers' and users' awareness and perceptions towards OPEFB particleboards as an industrial material, to identify OPEFB particleboard potential as an input material and to give general recommendations to OPEFB-based manufacturers, particularly particleboards, so as to help them improving their products based on analysis of the product strengths and weaknesses. The survey data obtained from the fair and exhibition were transformed into tabular and graphical forms. A descriptive analysis was performed for the gathered data to make them interpretable. The 'reasons for choosing' data were analysed with respect the Normality Test by using Kolmogrov-Smirnov Test to determine whether the data are normal or not. The data are considered normal if the mean value is greater than 0.5. The survey showed that most of the respondents preferred rubberwood as a better raw material to be used in producing wood-based products compared to OPEFB. This is because promotion on OPEFB is insufficient and to gain attentions from wood-based product manufacturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the physico-mechanical properties and characteristics on reduction of formaldehyde from UF particleboards as furniture materials under urea treatment. Straw particle were treated at three levels of urea concentration (5%, 10%, 15%) and 95°C as holding temperature. Particleboards were manufactured using hot press at the temperature of 180°C and the pressure of 3MPa with two types of UF adhesive (UF-45, UF-91). Then the formaldehyde emission values and physical, mechanical properties were considered. The results indicated that the specimens under urea treatment had better mechanical and physical properties in comparison with control specimens. Also specimens manufactured under urea treatment at 10% concentration and UF-91 type adhesive had the most physical and mechanical strength. Furthermore, the results showed that by increasing urea concentration, the formaldehyde emission value was decreased. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]