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This research was conducted to identify and compare the chemical compositions in Persian silk tree(Albizia julibrissin Durazz.) from different parts of wood and bark, using Fourier Transform Infrared(FTIR) Spectroscopy, gas and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS, LCMS),and elemental analysis. FTIR analysis showed significant differences in the chemical structureof bark and wood at peaks that belong to the cellulose and hemicelluloses. According to theresults, the C-O-C asymmetric stretch vibration in cellulose and hemicelluloses peak of Persian silktree was lower in the bark and ѵC=O in quinone or p-quinone peak was higher in the bark. Theresults of GC-MS showed 12 chemical constituents in the bark and 43 in the wood, respectively.Among these, hexadecanoic acid and inositol were in common. According to the LC-MS analyses,bark samples were rich in lignan compositions and triterpenoid saponins, whereas wood was poorin these compositions. Altogether 61 compositions have been tentatively identified and describedfrom bark and wood tissues; many of them were identified for the first time. Energy-dispersive Xray(EDX) spectrometry illustrated that the bark contained iron and aluminium, sodium,phosphorus, sulphur and chlorine, while these elements did not exist in wood.

[EN]This study reports the fabrication and performance of sustainable polyurethane (PU) films based on wheat starch (native NS, modified MS), bio-polyols (1,3-propanediol PD, glycerol Gly), and polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (pMDI). NS was successfully modified with isophorone diisocyanate, confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (C-13 NMR). Various PU films were prepared using NS, PD or Gly, MS and pMDI. For comparison, reference films were also synthesized without MS. PU films were analyzed from the viewpoint of their chemical, thermomechanical and flexural properties, and micro-structural morphology. FTIR spectra demonstrated the total consumption of NCO groups, while the scanning electron microscopy micrographs of the films revealed that MS addition promoted the interactions between the compounds, enhancing in consequence their mechanical and thermomechanical performance. The study sup -ported the suitability of functionalized carbohydrates to substitute petrochemical compounds in the synthesis of more environmentally-friendly PUs.

Nowadays, the design of composite materials considering sustainability and the environmental impact of the production is conspicuous. Therefore, in this work, we focus on investigating the mechanical behaviour and structure of a new green wood-based fibrous composite material bonded with a novel polymer matrix. The constitutive prediction models employing the material and structure design approaches simultaneously are proposed here to describe the material's microstructure. The goal is speeding up trials and reducing experiments expenses by replacing tests with computer simulations. Additionally, the relationship between material behaviour and structure is established and will be later used to generate Representative Volume Elements (RVEs) for finite element analysis (FEA).

The present study aims at characterization of freshly-cut and archaeological European white elm and poplar. The archaeological elm sample was buried at a depth of 8–10 m inside of soil with age approximation of ~1800–2000 years old, and the archaeological poplar sample was apart of a boat in a freshwater lake or river with age estimation of ~1000–1200 years. Alteration in the chemical structure of the elm and poplar samples due to the ageing process were confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Both archaeological wood (AW) samples illustrated considerably lower cellulose crystallinity than the fresh samples as determined by X-ray diffraction. The sorption behavior of AW and fresh wood (FW) samples were evaluated by means of dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) analysis. Results exhibited a higher equilibrium moisture content (EMC) and sorption hysteresis values in archaeological elm and poplar as compared with the fresh samples. Higher hydrophilicity of the AW samples than the FW ones is attributed to their higher amorphous structure. The extensive degradation of AW samples were also confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs.

Bark as a sawmilling residue can be used for producing value-added chemicals and materials. This study investigated the use of partially liquefied bark (PLB) for producing particleboard with or without synthetic adhesives. Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) bark was partially liquefied in the presence of ethylene glycol and sulfuric acid. Four types of particleboard panels were prepared with a PLB content of 4.7%, 9.1%, 20%, and 33.3%, respectively. Another five types of particleboard panels were manufactured by using similar amounts of PLB and 10 wt.% of melamine–urea–formaldehyde (MUF) adhesives. Characterization of bark and solid residues of PLB was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and automated vapor sorption (AVS). Mechanical and physical properties of the particleboard were tested according to the European standards EN 310 for determining modulus of elasticity and bending strength, EN 317 for determining thickness swelling after immersion in water, and EN 319 for determining internal bond strength. The results showed that the increase in PLB content improved the mechanical strength for the non-MUF boards, and the MUF-bonded boards with up to 20% of PLB met the requirements for interior uses in dry conditions according to EN 312. The non-MUF boards containing 33.3% of PLB and the MUF-bonded boards showed comparable thickness swelling and water absorption levels compared to the reference board., Formas project 942-2016-2 (2017-21) - Utilization of renewable biomass and waste materials for production of environmental-friendly, bio-based composites

Understanding the properties of any particular biorefinery or pulping residue lignin is crucial when choosing the right lignin for the right end use. In this paper, three different residual lignin types [supercritical water hydrolysis lignin (SCWH), ammonium lignosulfonate (A-LS), and sodium lignosulfonate (S-LS)] were evaluated for their chemical structure, thermal properties and water vapor adsorption behavior. SCWH lignin was found to have a high amount of phenolic hydroxyl groups and the highest amount of beta-O-4 linkages. Combined with a low ash content, it shows potential to be used for conversion into aromatic or platform chemicals. A-LS and S-LS had more aliphatic hydroxyl groups, aliphatic double bonds and C=O structures. All lignins had available C-3/C-5 positions, which can increase reactivity towards adhesive precursors. The glass transition temperature (T-g) data indicated that the SCWH and S-LS lignin types can be suitable for production of carbon fibers. Lignosulfonates exhibited considerable higher water vapor adsorption as compared to the SCWH lignin. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the SCWH differed greatly from the lignosulfonates in purity, chemical structure, thermal stability and water sorption behavior. SCWH lignin showed great potential as raw material for aromatic compounds, carbon fibers, adhesives or polymers. Lignosulfonates are less suited for conversion into chemicals or carbon fibers, but due to the high amount of aliphatic hydroxyl groups, they can potentially be modified or used as adhesives, dispersants, or reinforcement material in polymers. For most value-adding applications, energy-intensive purification of the lignosulfonates would be required.

The hygroscopicity and thermodynamic properties of Pinus sylvestris L. wood from a coffin allegedly holding the remains of famous Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547–1616) were studied using the 15 °C and 35 °C isotherms fitted to the Guggenheim–Anderson–de Boer model and comparing them with the isotherms of recently felled wood of the same species. In addition, using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) and X-ray diffractograms, the functional groups were determined and the crystallinity and organization of the cell wall components were analyzed. The absence of the 1740 cm−1 group indicates hemicellulose degradation in the archaeological wood, and the X-ray diffractograms show a considerable decrease in cellulose crystallinity and disorganization of the cellulose crystallites. The greater availability of active –OH groups means that the archaeological wood isotherms are above the juvenile and mature wood isotherms, and therefore the thermodynamic balance in the sorption of the archaeological wood is greater.

This study investigated the shear strength of heat-treated solid wood of three species (beech, poplar, and fir) bonded with polyvinyl-acetate (PVA) adhesive reinforced by nanowollastonite (NW). Wood specimens were heat-treated at 165°C and 185°C, and then bonded using PVA reinforced by 5% and 10% of NW. Shear strength tests parallel to the grain of bonded specimens were performed according to ASTM D143-14 (2014). The results demonstrated that the shear strength was significantly dependent upon the density of the specimens. Heat treatment decreased the shear strength of the bonded specimens considerably. This was attributed to several factors, such as a reduction in polar groups in the cell wall, increased stiffness of the cell wall after heat treatment, and a reduction in the wettability of treated wood. However, NW acted as a reinforcement agent or extender in the complex, and eventually improved the shear bond strength. Moreover, the density functional theory (DFT) proved the bond formation between calcium atoms in the NW and hydroxyl groups of cell wall polymers. The overall results indicated the potential of NW to improve the bonding strength of heat-treated wood.

Wood is a natural renewable material with unique properties helping mankind to build and develop its communities since the genesis of human on the Earth. Moreover, wood/cellulosic composites provide the opportunity to utilize low-density wood species and agricultural materials that are basically not suitable for structural applications. Although wood is considered irreplaceable, it has some disadvantages narrowing its applications and limiting its service life. These disadvantages mainly include its susceptibility to water and water vapor, biological deteriorating fungi, insects, termites, and marine borers. The present chapter tries to summarize some main areas in which nanotechnology is being used to improve wood and lignocellulosic-based composite panels. Moreover, some new applications and capabilities of this precious natural material are also brought into perspective, areas such as transparent wood, self-cleaning coatings, and smart windows. Though some areas have been thoroughly studied, much potential still exists for further studies and commercialization.

This study focuses on manufacturing of medium density fibreboard (MDF) panels bonded with dextrin-based wood adhesive and crosslinked in situ with various weight ratios of synthetic (e.g., polymeric-methane diphenyl-diisocyanate, pMDI) or bio-based (e.g., glyoxal) crosslinkers. The physical and mechanical properties of the panels were evaluated and compared with those from panels without crosslinker (control). Modulus of rupture (MOR) and internal bond (IB) strength of the MDF panels were considerably increased by increasing the crosslinkers’ content. While, slight improvements were observed in modulus of elasticity (MOE) of the panels as a function of crosslinker type and content. Addition of crosslinkers clearly reduced the thickness swelling (TS) and water absorption (WA) of the panels, whereas, the panels with pMDI showed superior performances than the control and glyoxal added ones within 4 h and 24 h immersion in water. The results indicate the potential of dextrin as wood panel adhesive along with the use of appropriate crosslinkers.

This study was conducted to assess the effect of the pulping by-products crude tall oil (CTO), distilled tall oil (DTO), andtall oil fatty acid (TOFA) on dynamic water vapor sorption behavior, interfiber strength, and thermal stability of cellulosic paper-sheets.The results were compared against those obtained in cellulose papers treated with the conventional petroleum-derived hydrophobicagent hydrowax and in untreated ones. The tall oil treatments caused strong reduction in equilibrium moisture content of the paper-sheets during adsorption and desorption runs. The same trend was noticed for the hydrowax-treated papers, however, it was lesspronounced than the CTO-treated and DTO-treated samples in the relative humidity range of 75–95%. The sorption hysteresis was con-siderably decreased after the treatments. The ultimate dry-tensile strengths of the paper-sheets were significantly reduced by TOFA andhydrowax treatments, while CTO and DTO showed comparable strength as that of untreated control. The ultimate wet-strengths of thepaper-sheets were improved after the treatments. The thermal stability of the specimens was improved by the tall oil treatments, and thehydrowax-treated samples illustrated lower degradation temperature than the untreated control. The results are promising for the use oftall oils as alternative hydrophobic agents of cellulosicfiber-based products, such as wood panels and paper packaging.

Pea starch and dextrin polymers were modified through the unequal reactivity of isocyanate groups in isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) monomer. The presence of both urethane and isocyanate functionalities in starch and dextrin after modification were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (C-13 NMR). The degree of substitution (DS) was calculated using elemental analysis data and showed higher DS values in modified dextrin than modified starch. The onsets of thermal degradation and temperatures at maximum mass losses were improved after modification of both starch and dextrin polymers compared to unmodified ones. Glass transition temperatures (T-g) of modified starch and dextrin were lower than unmodified control ones, and this was more pronounced in modified dextrin at a high molar ratio. Dynamic water vapor sorption of starch and dextrin polymers indicated a slight reduction in moisture sorption of modified starch, but considerably lower moisture sorption in modified dextrin as compared to that of unmodified ones.

Scots pine sapwood samples were pre-treated with a Lewis acid (AlCl3) and a combination of Lewis and protonic acids (AlCl3 and H2SO4), and were subsequently exposed to respective temperatures of 180 °C and 120 °C for establishing a comparable mass loss with those impregnated with demineralized water and solely thermally modified at 220 °C. Water impregnated samples dried at 120 °C also served as controls. The swelling behavior of all wood samples was examined with respect to maximum swelling in water, anti-swelling efficiency (ASE), shrinkage, and dynamic water vapor sorption at relative humidity ranges of 0% to 95%. The thermal modification at 220 °C diminished swelling and moisture adsorption, and also reduced moisture increment and decrement compared with the unmodified control. However, it was less obvious than both acid pre-treated samples. Excess surface work and Hailwood-Horrobin results calculated from water vapor sorption studies demonstrated that, at comparable mass loss, the available sorption sites were reduced to a greater extent by Lewis acid and combination of Lewis and protonic acids pre-treatment than the sole thermal treatment. This was attributed to more pronounced degradation of polysaccharides, mainly hemicelluloses and amorphous parts of cellulose, and to cross-linking of cell wall polymers due to the acid pre-treatments.

Pea starch and dextrin polymers were modified through the unequal reactivity of isocyanate groups in isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) monomer. The presence of both urethane and isocyanate functionalities in starch and dextrin after modification were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR). The degree of substitution (DS) was calculated using elemental analysis data and showed higher DS values in modified dextrin than modified starch. The onsets of thermal degradation and temperatures at maximum mass losses were improved after modification of both starch and dextrin polymers compared to unmodified ones. Glass transition temperatures (Tg) of modified starch and dextrin were lower than unmodified control ones, and this was more pronounced in modified dextrin at a high molar ratio. Dynamic water vapor sorption of starch and dextrin polymers indicated a slight reduction in moisture sorption of modified starch, but considerably lower moisture sorption in modified dextrin as compared to that of unmodified ones.

There is a complex link between the water sorption behavior and the presence of accessible hydroxyl groups in the wood cell wall, which can be altered by heat-treatment (HT). This study analyses the effect of changes in the cell wall ultrastructure caused by two HT techniques on the hydroxyl accessibility, water vapor sorption and dimensional changes of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood. HT of wood in pressurized hot water at 120-170 °C was applied to cause the preferential bond cleavage, whereas HT of wood in oven-dry state in superheated steam at 180-240 °C was performed to create additional covalent cross-links within the cell wall matrix. Removal of cell wall polymers by HT and water leaching reduced the oven-dry dimensions of wood and enhanced the cellulose aggregation during drying. Cellulose aggregation restricted the cell wall shrinkage in circumferential direction, resulting in inhomogeneous shrinkage of the cell wall with only little changes in lumen volume by HT. Cellulose aggregation also reduced the water-saturated dimensions, but a decrease in swelling was only achieved when additional cross-links were formed by HT in dry state. Additional cross-links in the cell wall matrix also resulted in an additional reduction in water sorption at 25 °C and 93% RH. However, this was not caused by a further reduction in the hydroxyl accessibility. Instead, cross-linking was shown to reduce the amount of accessible OH groups that are simultaneously active in sorption, which was explained based on the concept of sorption of water dimers at hydroxyl group pairs at high RH levels.

Wood modification is a well-known technology to enhance the dimensional stability of wood and the resistance to abiotic and biotic degradation. Impregnation modification of wood with thermosetting resins, such as melamine formaldehyde (MF) or phenol formaldehyde (PF), alters the material properties of wood through formation of a three-dimensional network within the cell wall. This work investigates the vapour sorption behaviour of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) micro-veneers modified with MF and PF resins by means of Hailwood-Horrobin (H-H) and excess surface work (ESW) models. The analysed sorption data indicated that the available sorption sites were increased in the modified samples compared to the unmodified controls due to an increase of the monolayer sorption. However, modification resulted in a considerable reduction of the multilayer sorption. This could be attributed to the formation of a rigid, three-dimensional corset within the cell wall formed by auto-polymerization reactions of resin monomers and oligomers, which is known to reduce the cell wall swell-ability upon water absorption.

Dimensional stability of wood-based panels is generally improved with application of suitable additives. Most of these additives, such as paraffin wax, are petroleum-based and with relatively high cost, and therefore, it is desirable to develop low-cost and effective substitutes from renewable resources. This work studied the potential of using a renewable water-repellent additive, such as tall oil fatty acid, for lab-scale manufacturing of medium density fibreboards (MDF). Tall oil fatty acid (TOFA) was used at 1 and 3% w/w of urea formaldehyde (UF) resin. MDF panels with similar concentrations of paraffin wax (wax) and panels without adding a water-repellent agent were served as controls. It was assessed the dimensional stability of the panels in terms of thickness swelling and water uptake after 4 and 24h immersion in water, and their mechanical performance in terms of modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture and internal bonding. Results showed no obvious differences in the strength behaviour of the panels by addition of water-repellent agents. Dimensional stability, however, considerably improved by addition of TOFA, but it was still inferior when compared to that provided by wax.

Specific gas and liquid permeability, as well as noise reduction coefficients, in insulating boards made of sugar-cane bagasse were studied here. Urea-formaldehyde (UF) and melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF) were used to produce homogeneous as well as three-layered insulating boards with three densities of 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 g/cm3. The obtained results indicated that MUF slightly decreased gas and liquid permeability, but it did not significantly affect the noise reduction coefficients. Gas and liquid permeability were considerably affected by the density of the boards, due to the compression between the bagasse particles and less spaces and voids to let the fluids to pass through. However, noise reduction coefficients were significantly affected both by the density, as well as the board-type. More compression between the particles and the consequent less space between the bagasse particles entangled the waves; further more, the sudden change between the layers in the three-layered boards formed a barrier towards transmission of waves.

This study investigates the effect of proton acid pre-treatment and subsequent thermal modification at relatively low temperatures (up to 180 °C) on wood with respect to dimensional stability and water vapour sorption properties. The effects are compared to those of solely thermally-modified wood at higher temperatures (up to 250 °C). Scots pine sapwood (P. sylvestris L.) was impregnated with a proton acid or demineralised water, and subsequently, thermally modified to various mass losses (ML). Acid pre-treatment and thermal modification improved the dimensional stability and reduced the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) until certain ML. Excess surface work (ESW) obtained from vapour sorption studies indicated that, at comparable ML, the acid pre-treatment reduced the available sorption sites as compared to sole thermal treatment. Samples pre-treated with acid also showed stronger decreasing courses of EMC- and ESW-ratios than sole thermally modified ones. This was attributed to degradation of amorphous wood polymers and a stiffer matrix due to cross-linking of the cell wall polymers as a consequence of acid pre-treatment. Electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis indicated that acid pre-treatment did not enhance the concentration of phenoxy radicals, whereas thermally modified wood showed a considerably higher concentration of phenoxy radicals, suggesting that high radical density cannot be used as an indicator for high matrix stiffness.

Several methods are available for obtaining the sorption isotherms of wood. Among these, the saturated salt and dynamic vapor sorption methods are the most frequently used ones. For the first time, the hygroscopic response of wood obtained using these two methods is compared. This is done by determining the 35 and 50°C adsorption isotherms of juvenile and mature wood of Pinus pinea L. The hygroscopic behavior of the two types of wood is different, as the mature wood has a higher moisture content than the juvenile wood in the isotherms studied. Comparison of the static saturated salt method and dynamic vapor sorption shows few significant differences between the equilibrium moisture content obtained by each method during the adsorption process, both in a point by point comparison and in the comparison of quadratic polynomial forms of the Guggenheim Anderson-de Boer model. Moreover, in both methods the point of relative humidity from which multilayer sorption predominates over monolayer sorption is similar.

Water-related properties of wood are strongly depended on the sorption behavior of its hygroscopic polymers such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. To assess the sorption performance of wood matrix in the absence of hemicelluloses and lignin, micro-veneers of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were hydrolyzed with sulphuric acid and delignified with sodium chlorite and acetic acid, respectively. The dynamic water vapour sorption of the hydrolyzed, delignified and untreated veneers was studied in a dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) apparatus. The moisture adsorption of hydrolyzed veneers was decreased in the relative humidity (RH) range above 60-70 %. Delignified veneers, however, showed obviously higher moisture adsorption at RH above 70%, as compared to untreated controls. Hydrolyzed and untreated veneers exhibited a comparable hysteresis, while delignified veneers showed a considerably lower hysteresis in comparison to them. This explains that, despite the fact that the hydrophilic hemicelluloses influence the moisture sorption of wood, the expand-ability of the cell wall matrix is mainly controlled by lignin.

The effects of nano-wollastonite (NW) suspension impregnation on the fire-retarding properties of heat-treated solid wood of three species (beech, poplar, fir) were studied. Heat treatment was performed at two temperatures of 180 °C and 200 °C. Impregnation was carried out at a pressure of 3 bars for 30 min. The fire properties included ignition time, glowing time, back-darkening, back-splitting, back-firing, and length and width of the burnt area. Both impregnation with NW and heat-treatment generally improved all fire-retarding properties, although not always to a significant level. As a mineral material, NW acted like a physical shield against fire penetration into the texture of wood specimens, thus improving fire properties. Moreover, the high thermal conductivity coefficient of wollastonite increased the thermal conductivity of wood, therefore preventing the accumulation of heat at the point nearest to a piloted flame and contributing to the improvement of fire properties. The chemical degradation of wood cell components caused by heat-treatment further improved the fire properties. Cluster analysis indicated the significant effect of species on fire properties. Significant R-square values were found amongst fire properties related to the spread of fire on the surface of specimens. The combination of thermal modification and impregnation with NW provides suitable fire properties for solid wood., Ej belagd 180215

Several methods are available for obtaining the sorption isotherms of wood. Among these, the saturated salt and dynamic vapor sorption methods are the most frequently used ones. For the first time, the hygroscopic response of wood obtained using these two methods is compared. This is done by determining the 35 and 50 °C adsorption isotherms of juvenile and mature wood of Pinus pinea L. The hygroscopic behavior of the two types of wood is different, as the mature wood has a higher moisture content than the juvenile wood in the isotherms studied. Comparison of the static saturated salt method and dynamic vapor sorption shows few significant differences between the equilibrium moisture content obtained by each method during the adsorption process, both in a point by point comparison and in the comparison of quadratic polynomial forms of the Guggenheim Anderson-de Boer model. Moreover, in both methods the point of relative humidity from which multilayer sorption predominates over monolayer sorption is similar.

The effects of nano-wollastonite (NW) suspension impregnation on the fire-retarding properties of heat-treated solid wood of three species (beech, poplar, fir) were studied. Heat treatment was performed at two temperatures of 180 °C and 200 °C. Impregnation was carried out at a pressure of 3 bars for 30 min. The fire properties included ignition time, glowing time, back-darkening, back-splitting, back-firing, and length and width of the burnt area. Both impregnation with NW and heat-treatment generally improved all fire-retarding properties, although not always to a significant level. As a mineral material, NW acted like a physical shield against fire penetration into the texture of wood specimens, thus improving fire properties. Moreover, the high thermal conductivity coefficient of wollastonite increased the thermal conductivity of wood, therefore preventing the accumulation of heat at the point nearest to a piloted flame and contributing to the improvement of fire properties. The chemical degradation of wood cell components caused by heat-treatment further improved the fire properties. Cluster analysis indicated the significant effect of species on fire properties. Significant R-square values were found amongst fire properties related to the spread of fire on the surface of specimens. The combination of thermal modification and impregnation with NW provides suitable fire properties for solid wood.

The resistance of heat treated (HT) wood to brown rot fungi has been investigated, while the role of the Fenton reaction (FR) in the initial phase of degradation was in focus. Micro-veneers made of Scots pine, were HT with various intensities and their mass losses (MLHT) were determined before soaking with a solution of Fenton’s reagent containing Fe ions and hydrogen peroxide. The mass loss of the veneers treated that way (MLFT), their tensile strength loss (TSLFT) and the H2O2 decomposition were observed. The MLFT, TSLFT, and H2O2 loss decreased with increasing MLHT of the veneers. Soaking of the veneers in acetate buffer containing only Fe without H2O2 revealed that the heat treatment (HT) strongly reduces the Fe uptake by the cell walls. FTIR spectroscopy indicated oxidation of the unmodified control veneers but did not reveal predominant decay of cell wall components; the HT veneers were not changed at all due to FR. It was concluded that the reason for the enhanced resistance of HT wood to FR is attributable to hindered diffusion of Fe ions into the wood cell wall.

The mode of action of phenol-formaldehyde (PF)-modified wood has been investigated with respect to its resistance to brown rot decay. The Fenton reaction is assumed to play a key role in the initial brown rot decay. Pine microveneers were modified to various weight percent gains (WPG) with low molecular weight PF and exposed to a solution containing Fenton’s reagent. The mass loss (ML) and tensile strength loss (TSL) as well as the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide within the incubation time decreased with the increasing WPG of the veneers. Incubation of untreated and PF-modified veneers in acetate buffer containing ferric ions without H2O2 revealed that the modification strongly reduces the uptake of iron by the wood cell wall. Further studies indicated that lignin promotes the decay of wood by Fenton’s reagent. The reason for the enhanced resistance of modified wood to the Fenton reaction is attributable to the impeded diffusion of iron ions into the cell wall rather than to the blocking of free phenolic sites of lignin, which accelerate redox cycling of iron.

For industrial processes, it is important to study the hygroscopicity and thermodynamic properties of juvenile and mature wood. Samples of Abies pinsapo Boiss. collected in the natural areas of the species in Spain were used to study these properties in both types of wood. The equilibrium moisture contents were obtained, and the 15, 35 and 50 °C isotherms were plotted following the Guggenheim–Anderson–Boer–Dent model. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated using the integration method of the Clausius–Clapeyron equation. Chemical analyses, infrared spectra and X-ray diffractograms were applied to assess chemical modifications and possible changes in the cell wall structure. The chemical composition of the mature wood shows a decrease in the lignin and hemicelluloses content and an increase in the extracts and α-cellulose. The sorption isotherms for the three temperatures studied are higher in the mature wood than in the juvenile wood. Causes of this include the higher content of α-cellulose, the higher crystallinity index and the shorter crystallite length in the mature wood. No difference was found between the juvenile and mature wood in relation to the point of inflexion where the multilayer starts to predominate over the monolayer (approximately 30 %). In terms of the thermodynamic properties, the heat involved is greater in desorption than in adsorption, and more heat is involved in the mature wood than in the juvenile wood.

Lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses have main roles on swelling and shrinkage of wood products. Interaction of these components with moisture has an important effect on market-friendly when the wood is subjected to the outside utilizations. In the heterogeneous structure of wood, sorption and desorption are occurred in different stages and it calls hysteresis. Hysteresis is a characteristic result from a moisture/temperature/time-dependent, slow, non-equilibrium, swelling-related conformational change, which is facilitated by increasing free volume and mobility in a polymer that is being plasticized during sorption that usually progresses through the stage of water clustering (Reina et al. 2001). Cell wall polymers of wood have a different behavior in the face of moisture in terms of sorption, desorption and hysteresis (Engelund et al. 2013). In order to better comprehension of the effect of cell wall material such as lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses, Scots pine micro-veneers were subjected to hydrolysis with sulphuric acid or delignification with acidic sodium chlorite, as previously described (Klüppel and Mai 2012). Then the hemicelluloses were isolated from the delignified veneers according to the chloride method. The commercial lignin was also used after dialysis tubing. The water adsorption and desorption mechanism of delignified and hydrolysed veneers as well as cell wall polymers such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin were determined using a dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) apparatus. The hydrolysed veneers were resulted in obviously lower moisture content in adsorption and desorption processes with increasing the relative humidity (RH) (Fig. 1a). While, delignified veneers showed slightly higher moisture content compared to control with increasing the ambient moisture until 70% RH and then considerably higher until 95% RH. Control specimens shown higher hysteresis than hydrolysed veneers and also higher hysteresis than delignified veneers after hygro, Ej belagd 170314

This study was conducted to explain the tensile strength loss of wood due to the modification with 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) and glutaraldehyde (GA). Modified and control wood blocks were macerated to deliberate fibres, and handsheets were produced thereof. The nitrogen content of the fibres indicated that maceration removed the major proportions of DMDHEU. The stability of GA in wood during maceration was not assessed. Tensile strength determined at zero span (z-strength) and finite span (f-strength) was equal for the handsheets from DMDHEU-modified fibres and the control handsheets. The microscopic appearance of the tested finite-span paper strips from DMDHEU-modified fibres mainly indicated interfibre failure and did not differ from the fibre fracture mode of the control handsheets. In contrast, the z-strength of the handsheets from GA-modified fibres was lower than that of controls and decreased with increasing content of GA in the initial modified wood. The f-strength behaviour of the handsheets from GA-modified fibres was the opposite: it was higher than that of controls and increased with increasing GA content. The microscopic appearance of the rapture zones of the finite-span testing mainly indicated intrafibre failure for the GA-modified fibres. It was concluded that cross-linking is likely to be the major reason for tensile strength loss of GA- and DMDHEU-modified wood. In terms of DMDHEU-modified wood, the incrustation of the cell wall by the resin and the reduction in pliability could play an additional role.

In order to accelerate the thermal modification process, Scots pine sapwood samples were subjected to two types of treatments. One group of samples was impregnated with water and exposed to 220oC and the second group was initially treated with low concentration of acids (1 mol l-1 AlCl3 and a mixture of 0.5 mol l-1 H2SO4 and 1 mol l-1 AlCl3), and then heated at different temperatures (180 and 120oC) to achieve comparable mass loss (ML) levels. The water vapour sorption isotherms of the thermally and acid-treated wood samples were determined using a dynamic vapour sorption (DVS) apparatus. Increasing the temperature in both thermally and acid-treated samples resulted in ML attributable to hemicelluloses degradation. As a result thereof, dimensional stability and reduction in the hygroscopicity of wood were observed. Acid-treated samples heated at lower temperature exhibited similar water sorption behaviour as water-treated samples subjected to considerably higher temperature. The sorption data were analysed using the Hailwood-Horrobin (H-H) and excess surface work (ESW) models. The data indicated that the monolayer and polylayer sorption were reduced by the acid and thermal treatments, but acid treatment reduced the monolyer sorption stronger than the thermal. The effect of thermal and acid treatments on the flexibility of the cell wall matrix could not be fully distinguished.

The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of two amino resins, N-methylol melamine (NMM) and 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU), on the intrafiber and interfiber strengths and water absorption of two types of waste paper categories, office paper (OP), and old corrugated containers (OCCs). The tensile strength of individual fibers measured at zero span was reduced by increases in the resin concentrations. The dry tensile strengths of the recovered handsheets measured at a finite span were enhanced with increases in the weight percentage gain of the resins. The increasing of the resin concentration also significantly improved the intrabonding of the OP and OCCs in moist measuring conditions. The water absorption of the handsheets considerably decreased at the higher concentration of the thermosetting resins, especially with NMM. The results are promising for the use of NMM- and DMDHEU-treated recovered fibers as an alternative fiber resource for the production of laminated paper and also for the use of DMDHEU as a new N-methylol compound for laminated paper.