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In this work, non-equilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasma was introduced over an aqueous solution as a medium to depolymerise lignin employing an applied voltage of 10 kV and a frequency of 10 kHz. As a starting material, lignin was extracted from Japanese cedar wood flour utilising a deep eutectic solvent (DES) at 50–120 °C. The Fourier-transform infrared (FT–IR) spectra indicated that lignin was extracted from the Japanese cedar wood flour in this temperature range. Additionally, the ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectra of the liquid fraction of the products at 280 nm revealed the high lignin content of the extracts. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) revealed that the average molecular weight of the lignin was 400–700 Da. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) illustrated that the prolonged discharge plasma treatment concurrently promoted the further depolymerisation reaction and repolymerisation of the lignin-derived compounds.

Agroforestry biomass involving cedar wood (CW), polar wood (PW), corn stalk (CS) and wheat straw (WS) was torrefied in a fixed-bed reactor under the torrefaction temperature (T) of 200–300 °C and the holding time (τ) of 10–60 min to prepared straw biochars (WSC, CSC) and woody biochars (PWC and CWC). The effects of biomass species, torrefaction temperature and holding time on the hygroscopicity of biochars were investigated under constant temperature and humidity. Combined with the results of N2 adsorption/desorption and FTIR of raw biomass and its biochars, the mechanism of torrefaction conditions on the hygroscopicity of biochar was discussed. The obtained results indicated that water absorption process of biochar can be divided into two stages of initial rapid water absorption and the later slow water absorption. The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) decreases, the hygroscopicity reduction extent (HRE) increases gradually, and hydrophobicity of biochar is enhanced with increasing torrefaction temperature. However, too high torrefaction temperatures (T ≥ 275 °C) has little or even adverse effect on the hydrophobicity of biochars. The longer holding time has a certain influence on the hydrophobicity of biochar, but the overall effect is not significant. The hydrophobicity of woody biochars (PWC and CWC) is better than that of straw biochars (WSC and CSC) at the same torrefaction conditions. The severe torrefaction of T ≥ 275 °C and τ ≥ 40 min are able to improve the hydrophobicity of woody biochars, however it has negative effect on straw biochars. The hydrophobicity of four biochars is ordered as PW > CW > WS ≈ CS at the same torrefaction conditions. The water adsorption mechanism of biochars is influenced by the coupling effects of physical structure evolution, release of hydrophilic oxygen-containing functional groups and pyrolytic tar condensation, and the severer the torrefaction, the more significant the influence is.

In order to make the optimum design of wood material in computer aided design and production systems used today, all elastic constants must be known. Nine elastic constants are needed for the integration of wood which is an orthotropic material into these systems. In this study, elastic constants of Cedar (Cedrus libani A.) wood were investigated at constant temperature and relative humidity conditions. Elastic Constants were obtained from samples of 20 x 20 x 60 mm in compression tests. Three elastic moduli (EL, ER, ET) in principal directions, three shear modulus in the LR, LT and TR planes and six Poisson’s ratios (νLR, νLT, νRL, νRT, νTL, νTR) were evaluated. Compression strength of the specimens in L, R and T directions were also calculated. Strains occurred during loading were measured using bi-axial extensometer. Elastic constants were calculated from the load-deformation curves. EL, ER, ET values determined in cedar wood were 7800, 890 and 670 N/mm2, GLR, GLT, GRT values were 836, 780, 156 N/mm2, and Poisson ratios ranged between 0.052 and 0.522, respectively. The compressive strengths in the L, R and T directions were found as 44.1, 8.6 and 7.6 N/mm2, respectively. Properties found in the study can be used in numerical modelling of cedar wood., Günümüzde kullanılan bilgisayar destekli tasarım ve üretim sistemlerinde ahşap malzemenin optimum tasarımının yapılabilmesi için tüm elastik sabitlerinin bilinmesi gerekir. Ortotropik bir malzeme olan ahşabın bu sistemlere entegrasyonu için dokuz elastik sabite ihtiyaç vardır. Bu çalışmada, Sedir (Cedrus libani A.) odununun sabit sıcaklık ve rutubet koşullarında elastik sabitleri incelenmiştir. Elastik sabitler basma testleri uygulanan 20 x 20 x 60 mm ebatlarındaki örneklerden elde edilmiştir. İncelenen özellikler; lif yönü, radyal ve teğet yönlerde elastik modülü (EL, ER, ET) üç ana düzlemde kayma modülü (GLR, GLT, GRT) ve altı Poisson oranından (νLR, νLT, νRL, νRT, νTL, νTR) oluşmaktadır. Deney örneklerinin üç farklı lif yönündeki basınç dirençleri de çalışmada belirlenmiştir. Yükleme sırasında meydana gelen şekil değişmeleri çift eksenli ekstansometre kullanılarak ölçülmüştür. Elastik sabitler, gerilme-şekil değiştirme eğrileri kullanılarak hesaplanmıştır. Sedir odununda belirlenen EL, ER, ET değerleri sırasıyla 7800, 890 ve 670 N/mm2, GLR, GLT, GRT değerleri ise sırasıyla 836, 780, 156 N/mm2 ve Poisson oranları ise 0.052 ile 0.522 arasında değişmektedir. Çalışmada bulunan elastik sabitler, sedir odununun nümerik modellenmesinde kullanılabilir.

Agroforestry biomass involving cedar wood (CW), poplar wood (PW), corn stalk, and wheat straw was torrefied in a fixed-bed reactor at the torrefaction temperature (T) of 200–300 °C and the holding ...

Steam co-gasification of banana peel with other biomass, i.e., Japanese cedar wood, rice husk and their mixture, was carried out for the hydrogen-rich gas production in a fixed-bed reactor. For the co-gasification process, the banana peels were physically mixed with rice husk, Japanese cedarwood and their mixture respectively by different mixing weight ratios. The effects of reaction temperature and the addition amount of banana peel on the gas production yield were investigated by comparing the experimental data with the calculated ones based on the individual biomass gasification at the same condition. It was found that the banana peel with a high content of alkali and alkaline earth metal (AAEM) species exhibited not only high gasification reactivity but also a significant enhancing catalytic effect on the co-gasification process at the low temperature, especially with the biomass containing no silica species. The high content of silica species in the rice husk had a negative effect on the gasification reactivity of banana peel during the co-gasification since it could hinder the release of AAEM from the biomass and/or lead to the possible formation of inactive alkaline silicates. However, the combination of these three samples with the suitable weight ratio could improve the gasification performance at the low temperature due to the synergetic effect provided by high contents of potassium and calcium from banana peel and cedarwood respectively. Moreover, the addition of calcined seashells as the CaO source could further improve the gas production yield, especially the hydrogen gas yield at a relatively low gasification temperature of 750 ℃.

In the present study, pyrolysis kinetics of the pure and blends of cedar wood (CW), algal biomass (AB), and digested sludge (DS) with and without the catalyst ZSM–5 were examined. Both Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO) model-free methods were used to calculate the total activation energy (Ea), change in enthalpy (ΔH), and change in Gibb’s free energy (ΔG) of 18 different biomass combinations. The highest Ea (548.52 kJ/mol) and ΔH (532.22 kJ/mol) were found for the CW. The biomass blend of AB: CW at weight ratios of 2:1 with catalyst (2:1 catalyst to biomass weight ratio) resulted in the lowest Ea (57.03 kJ/mol) and ΔH (50.11 kJ/mol) with a ΔG value of 243.25 kJ/mol. Statistically significant response surface models were developed to describe the effect of biomass blend composition on Ea and ΔH. This study demonstrated that catalytic pyrolysis of biomass blends from different sources can be used to significantly reduce the energy requirement for the process.

As part of the study of extractives of biomass of coniferous trees of Siberia in order to predict the possibility of obtaining valuable biologically active products, a study was conducted of the chemical composition of the ethyl acetate extract of cedar wood (Siberian pine) Pinus sibirica Du Tour. The chemical composition of the phenolic compounds of cedar wood was studied, including the structure of oligomeric polyphenols. The yields of extractives extracted with ethyl acetate and water from cedar wood were 1.6 and 2.71% of a.s. (absolutely dry matter). The content of phenolic compounds in the ethyl acetate extract of cedar wood was 45.9% rel. Based on 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy data, it was found that the main monomeric phenolic extractive substances of cedar wood are stilbene – pinosilvin monomethyl ether (content in cedar wood 0.25% of a.s.) and flavonoids – tectochrizin, pinocembrin, and pinobankxin, as well as oligomeric and polymeric phenolic compounds. It was shown that the composition of cedar wood oligomers includes a complex mixture of stilbene derivatives of pinosilvin and flavonoids with the inclusion of carbohydrate residues. The content of the fraction of oligomeric and polymeric phenolic compounds in cedar wood is 0.39% of a.s.

Wood has been an important raw material for centuries, and humans encounter it in the form of furniture and building materials or in products of daily use. The odors emanating from such wood-based materials can add another facet to their functionality by influencing human well-being and mood. Moreover, wood odors can be used in odor-enhanced environments to foster relaxation and stress recovery. The current study was conducted to assess the subjective evaluation of, and physiological responses to, wood odors and individual wood odor constituents. The subjects smelled the odors of pine needles oil, cedar wood oil, α-pinene, and thymoquinone and evaluated the odor percept and their subjective feelings. Heart rate, finger temperature, and skin conductance were monitored throughout the experiment. The results showed that wood odors were distinct regarding their pleasantness, familiarity, and intensity. All odors enhanced the subjective feelings of happiness and content. Though no odor-specific physiological effects became evident, certain physiological measures correlated with self-reports of happy and relaxed feelings and the intensity ratings of the odors. The present study provides a basis for further studies on the use of wood odors as ambient scents and helps understanding the influence of natural odors on humans.

Thymoquinone was recently reported as having a unique pencil-like odor and being the impact compound for the cedar-like and cedar wood-based product smell such as pencils. The compounds thymol and carvacrol are structurally related odorants commonly found in plants and foods such as thyme and oregano, also having a significant contribution to their overall aroma. However, a systematic elucidation of the sensory properties in this class of oxygenated, aromatic monoterpenoids has not been carried out. To close this gap and gain new insights into structure-odor relationships leading to pencil-like and woody odors, 19 structurally related derivatives of p-cymene starting from thymol and carvacrol were synthesized and characterized. The compounds had odor thresholds ranging from 2.0 ng/L air to 388.8 ng/L air, being lowest for thymol and carvacrol and highest for thymohydroquinone. The compounds smelled mostly thyme-like, oregano-like, and pencil-like with phenolic, earthy, and medicinal variations in their odor character, which could be successfully linked to structural motifs.

The significance of wood odors beyond flavoring effects for barbecues and wine aged in barrels has recently been under discussion. Wood has an immense influence on our physical and mental condition through our palate, such as positive health and mood-stimulating effects. As a result of increased public interest, the key odorants from various natural wood species were recently decoded. To gain profound insights into the contribution of single odorants to the overall scent of distinct wood types, this study compares several softwood species (Scots pine, incense cedar, European larch, Norway spruce, and white fir) by odor profile analysis. Nine odor-active constituents, which were previously detected in those woods, were quantified using stable isotope dilution analysis (SIDA). Odor activity values (OAVs) calculated on the basis of odor thresholds (OTs) determined in cellulose revealed hexanal, octanal, (E)-non-2-enal, p-cresol, vanillin, and thymoquinone as dominant odorants for wood odor. Recombination experiments by mixing the odorants in their naturally occurring concentrations in a cellulose matrix confirmed the successful characterization of the key odorants for Scots pine and incense cedar wood.

The utilization of composite materials is increasing at a growing rate in almost all types of products, due to their strength-to-stiffness ratio. From this perspective, natural waste composites, i.e., wood waste composites, have also been investigated for their effective and sustainable employment. This paper deals with the application of hard and soft wood waste (i.e., acacia and cedar wood) with epoxy resin polymer to develop high strength and thermally stable wood composites. Mechanical (tensile, flexural, impact, and hardness) and thermal properties of samples are studied using Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), respectively. The properties are evaluated by varying the type of wood waste and its percentage by weight. Based on the Taguchi Orthogonal Array Mixture Design, eighteen experiments are investigated. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results show that wood waste type and wood waste content have a significant effect on all mechanical properties. From the TGA analysis, it is predicted that both types of wood waste composites exhibit similar thermal-induced degradation profiles in terms of the initial and final degradation temperatures. From the DSC results, higher glass transition temperature Tg is detected in 10% of the hardwood waste composite, and a reducing tendency of glass transition temperature Tg is observed with exceeding wood waste content. Moreover, hardwood waste at 10% demonstrated improved decomposition temperature Td, due to strong adhesion between waste and matrix.

Vapor-phase acetylation of heartwood in Japanese cedar wood (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) was carried out as a surface acetylation method to elucidate the relationship between the depth of acetylat...

A kinetic study of the delignification of cedar wood during organosolv treatment using 1-butanol was conducted. The results revealed that the primary particles in the delignification were not wood chips, but the tracheid cell wall in the wood structure. In addition, the delignification proceeded from the lumen of the tracheid cell wall into the middle lamella, which suggests that the kinetic situation was similar to that in the unreacted-core model. The amount of delignification increased with reaction time, although the cellulose remained a solid with mesopores. These results indicate that delignification should proceed to produce pure cellulose layers. Therefore, delignification was analyzed using the unreacted-core model, which revealed that the rate-determining step was the diffusion of dissolved lignin molecules within the cellulose layer. The mesopore and lignin particle size were approximately 3–10 nm and 2.7–5.4 nm, respectively. This size relation predicted that the diffusion rate would be very low, which supported the result from the unreacted-core model analyses. Finally, the effective diffusion coefficient was calculated from unreacted-core model equations, and produced a value of 4.09 × 10−19 m2 s−1, which was low and indicated that diffusion of the lignin molecules within the cellulose layer was the rate-determining step.

Two-staged pyrolysis of biomass was proposed as a promising method by which liquid products would be less diverse and more concentrated, and beneficial to further upgrading or extracting chemicals. Rice straw, cedar wood, and dalbergia wood were selected as representative biomass materials. Thermogravimetric Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) was initially used to analyze biomass and the three main components. According to the pyrolysis characteristics and the volatile release processes, 270–360°C was selected as the optional temperature range for the low-temperature stage of the two-staged pyrolysis. Then, Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) was used in two stages to analyze three types of biomass, with the first stage at 270°C, 320°C, or 360°C and then the second stage at 550°C. The two-staged pyrolysis could efficiently separate biomass pyrolysis products, especially the enrichment of organic acids, alcohols, and aldehydes in the first stage, and the enrichment of phenolic substances in the second stage. The optimum temperature of the first stage was 320°C, which was suitable for three different kinds of biomass.

In the present study, activated carbon prepared from cedar wood was synthesized, ‎via NaOH activation, and optimized to be used as the adsorbent for Pb2+ removal ‎from aqueous solutions in a batch process mode. The physicochemical properties ‎of the synthesized adsorbent were examined by SEM, FTIR and BET analysis. In ‎order to determine the optimum operational conditions, the effects of different ‎parameters including pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, temperature, and initial ‎Pb2+concentration on the adsorptive performance of synthesized samples were also ‎investigated. According to the obtained results, the highest Pb2+ ion adsorption ‎capacity (971.9 mg/g) took place at the optimum operational condition of pH=4, ‎adsorbent dosage of 0.025 g/L, contact time of 60 minutes, 300 ppm of Pb2+ and ‎‎30 ℃. The results showed that among Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin ‎isotherms, the obtained data were fitted the best with the Freundlich model. ‎Additionally, the process of Pb2+ adsorption was consistent with the pseudo-‎second-order kinetics model, indicating that chemical adsorption was the dominant ‎mechanism of adsorption. Finally, according to the calculated thermodynamic ‎parameters, i.e., ∆H°, 〖∆S〗^° & 〖∆G〗^°, Pb2+ adsorption on activated cedar ‎wood can be considered as an exothermic and spontaneous process.‎

This study examined the influence of moisture content (MC) on NO2 sorption ability of cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) wood using the specimens with different MCs. Four MC conditions were applied, namely 0%, 8.6%, 12.7% and 16.5%, based on the differences of bonding condition of water molecule in the wood substances. As a result, the NO2 sorption volume increased drastically due to the presence of water, and as the MC increased, the NO2 sorption volume increased slightly. The NO generation volume and nitric acid concentration in the specimens were evaluated after an aeration test, and it was strongly indicated that the NO2 reacted with water in the specimen, and that the NO generation volume increased as the content of multilayer adsorbed water increased. The nitric acid seemed to be formed by the reaction between NO2 and water, and it was then held in the specimen. Based on the NO2 sorption volume calculated using the NO generation volume, it was shown that the NO2 sorption after 12-h aeration was caused mainly by the reaction between NO2 and water. Furthermore, the presence of both water and extractives contributed to the NO2 sorption in the initial period, and the presence of water contributed greatly to the NO2 sorption over the long term.

Blending nano-additives with diesel and biodiesel assess the Performance of engine and diesel exhaust emission factors. The Zirconium Oxideand Titanium Oxide nano additives are applied to biodiesel blends in various proportions. Cedar Wood oil is used as the base oil, both nano additives are added. The nanoparticles in this study are 30 nm in size and are applied to biodiesel in various amounts. The experiments were performed on a single direct-injection Four stroke diesel engine. The performance of the diesel fuel was included, as well as the emission characteristics and performance of the engine were all investigated in the experiments.

Two groups of coffins from the Necropolis of Thebes and held in the Egyptian Museum of Florence were analysed to collect information about the woods used in their construction, possible provenance and the technological features. The two groups of coffins belong to burials during the XVIII Dynasty of the New Kingdom and the XXI Dynasty of the Third Intermediate Period. The latter group comes from the well-known tomb of Bab el-Gasus. The analysis confirms that the most frequently utilised timber for the ancient Egyptian wooden coffins was Ficus sycomorus L. (sycamore fig) that was widely available locally at the time of construction. Sycamore fig wood is light and easy to process, and is the only local tree species suitable for making boards of sufficient length for the sides of coffins. Sycamore fig is used almost exclusively in the coffins from Bab el-Gasus. Here very few other woods were detected, but were all local in origin: Acacia sp., acacia; Tamarix sp., tamarisk. In contrast, the precious softwood of Cedrus cf. libani (probably Lebanon cedar) largely appears in the coffins of the New Kingdom. The comparison of the woods from the analysis of the two groups of coffins points out important differences between them. The differences may depend on the variations over time of the workmanship skills and on the higher social status of the deceased in more ancient periods. Most likely the main difference is due to the worst socio-economic situations that drastically reduced the availability of timber during the XXI dynasty period, in that geographical area of Egypt.

Wood material is a natural, sustainable, renewable and environmentally friendly material that can be used in both structural and non-structural applications. However, one of the most important negative features of wood material is that it is a hygroscopic material. Heat treatment application increase dimensional stability of the wood material and becomes more hydrophobic. In this study, firstly, the contact angle values of Cedar wood have been determined in the tangential and radial direction by dropping them on the surface of the wood material. Then the swelling and shrinkage amounts of the same samples were determined. TS 4084 standard was used to determine the swelling and shrinkage amounts. As a result, shrinkage and swelling amounts of the samples were estimated by using artificial neural network (ANN) and Random Forest (RF) algorithm. In the estimation made by RF and ANN methods, contact angle values were used as input. It has been determined that the predictions made with RF Algorithm give the most accurate results (tangential direction, R2= 0.91, radial direction, R2= 0.97). As a result, it has been determined by RF Algorithm that shrinkage and swelling values of a wood material whose con-tact angle values are known can be better predicted., Ahşap malzeme, hem yapısal hem de yapısal olmayan uygulamalarda kullanılabilen doğal, sürdürülebilir, yenilenebilir ve çevre dostu bir malzemedir. Ancak ahşap malzemenin en önemli olumsuz özelliklerinden biri higroskopik bir malzeme olmasıdır. Isıl işlem uygulaması ahşap malzemenin boyutsal stabilitesini arttırmakta ve daha hidrofobik hale getirmektedir. Bu çalışmada öncelikle, Sedir odununun temas açısı değerleri, ahşap malzeme yüzeyine damlatma ile teğet ve radyal yönde belirlenmiştir. Daha sonra aynı numunelerin genişleme ve daralma miktarları belirlenmiştir. Genişleme ve daralma miktarlarının belirlenmesinde TS 4084 standardı kullanılmıştır. Deneysel çalışma sonucunda, yapay sinir ağı (ANN) ve rastgele orman algoritması kullanılarak örneklerin daralma ve genişleme miktarları tahmin edilmiştir. Rastgele orman ve ANN yöntemleri ile yapılan tahminlerde temas açısı değerleri girdi olarak kullanılmıştır. Rastgele Orman Algoritması ile yapılan tahminlerin en doğru sonuçları verdiği tespit edilmiştir (teğet yön, R2= 0.91, radyal yön, R2= 0.97). Sonuç olarak, temas açısı değerleri bilinen bir ahşap malzemenin Rastgele Orman Algoritması ile daralma ve genişleme değerlerinin daha iyi tahmin edilebileceği belirlenmiştir.

The aim of the current study was to examine the efficacy of Regalers 1126, Regalers 1094, and Polyurethane with and without zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) and titanium oxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) on the thermal resistance of archaeological wood. Cedar and sycamore woods were selected as archaeological woods and aging was performed at 100°C for 400 hours, which is equivalent to 25 years. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to study the change in the functional groups. The X-ray analysis (XRD) examined the change of wood crystallization of woods after the consolidation process. Moreover, the changes in the morphology of untreated and treated woods were identified by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, the thermal stability of untreated and treated woods was investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The mechanical decay of treated cedar and sycamore woods by consolidation materials were described. Correspondingly, the color change as indicated by CIE Lab color coordinates of consolidated woods after aging was investigated and the color change rate of sycamore wood is higher than that of cedar wood after the consolidation process. Finally, utilize of TiO2-NPs played a larger role in the weight gain and mechanical properties of samples than ZnO-NPs after the consolidation procedure.

Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) wood is widely used as a traditional construction material in Japan. The relationship between an individual’s perceived comfort level and a preference for Japanese cedar wood interiors is of interest. We compared volunteers’ physiological responses and subjective evaluations of wooden dwelling spaces with different wood materials: planed Japanese cedar lumber, or printed grain resin sheet overlay boards. Eighty-three subjects were asked to stay in each room for 30 min. We evaluated salivary stress markers, blood pressure, the profile of mood states-brief form (POMS), and a questionnaire that used the semantic differential method to evaluate the subjects’ feeling state for both rooms. The concentrations of the volatile organic compounds in both rooms were also quantified after the experiment. The results demonstrated that the subjects’ evaluation of each room was highly dependent on their preference; each room was evaluated more positively by subjects who preferred it. Although the subjects’ feelings were also influenced by their preference, the room with Japanese cedar did not elicit negative feelings, even from the subjects who disliked it. The subjects’ physiological responses were totally independent of their preferences. Their blood pressure decreased in the Japanese cedar room, and their salivary alpha-amylase activity was repressed in both rooms. These results indicated that the subjective evaluations were influenced in part by the subjects’ preferences, while their physiological responses were not affected. Regardless of which room the subjects preferred, the Japanese cedar room reduced the subjects’ blood pressure compared to the room with artificial materials.

Spectroscopic characterization of ancient buried Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) woods excavated from the foothills of Mt. Chokai was carried out to investigate the factors governing their color tones. X-ray fluorescence analysis confirmed primary metal elements in the Japanese cedar wood to be Ca and Fe. Infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy revealed that prolonged burial had not caused severe chemical decomposition of the ancient wood. 57Fe Mössbauer spectra of the ancient wood samples suggested that Fe in the Japanese cedar wood was present in the high-spin Fe3+ or low-spin Fe2+ state. Although the dark color tone of the ancient wood has been assumed to be due to the presence of multinuclear Fe complexes with multidentate ligands such as tannin, no positive correlation was observed between the color depth and Fe content of the ancient wood samples.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T02:16:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-02-01 This work physically, mechanically, and chemically characterized the composites produced from Portland CP II-E32 cement and fresh Indian cedar wood particles previously treated by immersion in hot and cold water. Density values for wood particulate composites were around 50% lower compared with the wood-free control treatment, from 0.88 to 1.78 g/cm. A larger swelling was observed for the composite material. The results of compressive strength and stiffness indicated that there is no need for particle treatment for composite production. Hot and cold water immersion treatments reduced the total Indian cedar wood extractives by 33% and 42%, respectively. Optical microscopy analysis was used to identify adhesion failures between the cement/wood interface of the composite produced with fresh particles, which presented a higher percentage of extractives. This result indicated that the greater concentration of total extractives partially inhibits the matrix-matrix interaction reinforcement. Despite the reduction in total extractives caused by the treatments, this process is not necessary for the composite production because there is no statistical difference between the treatments. The values obtained for the composite indicate the possibility of application in sealing blocks in light construction systems. Department of Mechanical Engineering UNESP-São Paulo State University, Avenida Ariberto Pereira da Cunha, 333 UNESP-São Paulo State University, Campus of Itapeva, Rua Geraldo Alckmin, 519 Department of Mechanical Engineering UNESP-São Paulo State University, Avenida Ariberto Pereira da Cunha, 333 UNESP-São Paulo State University, Campus of Itapeva, Rua Geraldo Alckmin, 519

Essential oils have potential to mitigate stress symptoms and treat symptoms related to mental health. Few studies have investigated the effects of wood-derived aromatics on endocrinological and psychological responses in an actual space. In this study, we evaluated the effects of essential oil derived from Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) wood on the recovery state of female participants after they performed monotonous work. We determined the levels of salivary stress markers to describe the endocrinological responses. And we also used questionnaires to assess the perception of the odor of experimental rooms and psychological states. We found that olfactory stimulation with the volatile compounds of essential oil derived from Japanese cedar wood modulates mood states, and may transiently decrease sympathetic nervous activity. We suggest that olfactory stimulation with the volatile compounds of essential oil derived from Japanese cedar wood could be useful for maintaining mental health among women.

In 1998, the Japanese cedar longhorned beetle, Callidiellum rufipenne (Motschulsky, 1861), was discovered in Connecticut where its larvae bored into living plants in the Cupressaceae. A survey conducted between 1999 and 2005 indicated that the alien beetle was restricted to the southern part of the state. In 2015, adults were reared from dead wood collected north of the range known in 2005. A new survey was conducted in 2016–2017 to ascertain how far the exotic beetle had spread since the first survey. In the new survey, adults were captured in cross-vane panel traps that had lures of mixed (six-carbon) ketones and ethanol. At least one of the ketones apparently was an aggregation or sex pheromone. In two areas without traps, adults emerged from dead cedar wood. Based upon adult captures in traps and upon rearing, the Japanese cedar longhorn has spread northward to the border with Massachusetts. It was discovered in 157 (95.2%) of 165 towns surveyed. Of 187 panel traps with lures, 171 (91.4%) captured adults, suggesting that the trapping method was effective. Cupressaceous plants, especially stressed ones, in garden centers, landscaped areas, and natural areas are now at risk of attack statewide.

Japanese cedar wood specimens were compressed radially using saturated water vapor at 160 °C. Their shape recovery in hot water, cellulose crystallinity, and dynamic viscoelastic properties were measured. The compressed shape of the wood was fixed completely with 120 min of steam compression. In addition, the tensile strain of the elongated steam-compressed wood specimens was recovered almost completely upon immersion in hot water. The crystallinity and crystal width of cellulose in the compressed wood increased with increasing steaming duration, corresponding to the fixation of the compressed shape and the recovery of tensile strain. These results suggested that the recrystallization or co-crystallization of cellulose, i.e., the reformation of elastic members in the wood cell walls, caused shape fixation by steam compression. When a wood specimen was compressed at 25 °C, its dynamic Young’s modulus in the radial (R) direction (ER) decreased, while its mechanical loss tangent (tan δR) increased remarkably. However, upon subsequent steaming, the reduced ER began increasing and the enhanced tan δR began decreasing. These changes were explained by a hypothetical slip–cure model in which microfractures and slippage between or within microfibrils were cured by the rearrangement of cellulose under steaming.

To investigate the mechanism of shape fixation of steam-compressed wood, Japanese cedar wood specimens were compressed radially by 50% using saturated water vapor at 160 °C and observed during shape recovery in different liquids, including water and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Shape recovery was evaluated based on the dimensional changes in wet conditions (SRw) and those in dry conditions (SRd). SRw in DMSO was significantly greater than that in water, but this recovery observed in DMSO was not recognized in SRd. The contradiction arose from significant reversible cellular deformation: the compressed cells were reversibly expanded with the swelling of the cell wall, and this swimming ring-like cellular deformation increased SRw in DMSO. At room temperature, the SRd values in various liquids were closely connected to the swelling of the wood cell walls, rather than to the degree of softening. This suggested that the plastic expansion of cells, as well as the softening of the wood cell walls, caused the shape recovery of compressed wood. This mechanism was qualitatively expressed by an elasto-plastic model equipped with an inflator representing the swimming ring-like expansion of the cell lumina.

Growth enhancement of white rot fungus Phlebia brevispora TN3F by two bacterial strains TN3W-8 and TN3W-14 which showed high identity with genus Pseudomonas and Enterobacter, respectively, was investigated in liquid and solid media at different glucose concentrations. The white rot fungus P. brevispora TN3F and the bacterial strains were isolated from same white rot-decayed cedar wood from the Tano Forest Science Station at University of Miyazaki. Confrontational assay between the fungus and the bacterial strains revealed a fungal growth enhancement phenomenon, in the direction of the bacterial cells, even without direct contact. This enhancement increased with decrease of glucose concentration, 0.5% glucose offering comparatively the most mycelial growth. In potato extract (PE) medium at 0.5% glucose concentration, along with mycelial growth enhancement and morphological change of P. brevispora TN3F, growth and morphological enhancement of fungus TMIC33929, another strain of P. brevispora, was achieved by the bacterial strain TN3W-14, although TMIC33929 originated from a different environment. Outside few reports of a positive interaction between white rot fungi and other microorganisms, this is a first report of such positive interaction in liquid medium. Furthermore, this also is the first report of a single bacterium having potential to positively affect mycelia growth of different strains of a white rot fungus.

We developed a new system for measuring the NO2 sorption ability of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) wood by referring to Japanese Industrial Standard for JIS R 1701-1 (Test method for air purification performance of photocatalytic materials, Japanese Standard Association, Tokyo, 2004). Aeration experiments were conducted using plated specimen, particle specimen, discoid specimen and wood powder with consideration of aeration condition and surface area which can contact with NO2 gas. In the plated specimen, the NO2 sorption ability was greatly affected by the thickness of longitudinal direction, and high NO2 sorption ability of the transverse section was observed within a thickness range from the surface to ca. 3 mm. The average NO2 sorption volume for discoid specimen for 5 h was approx. five times larger than that those for the plated and particle specimens, which the thickness of longitudinal direction was 1.5 mm. This means that the NO2 sorption effect was especially high under the condition where the NO2 gas passed through tracheid. Also, it was suggested that the interface area between NO2 gas and specimen influenced to the NO2 sorption ability. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the NO2 sorption volume in discoid specimen and the grain size below 0.25–0.50 mm of wood powder reached the greatest.

In recent years, highly antimicrobial properties of cedar heartwood essential oil against the wood-rotting fungi and pathogenic fungi have been reported in several papers. Antimicrobial properties against oral bacteria by hinokitiol contained in Thujopsis have been also extensively studied. The relation of naturally derived components and human immune system has been studied in some previous papers. In the present study, we focused on Japanese cedar, which has the widest artificial afforestation site in the country among various tree species. Extract oil was obtained from mixture of sapwood and heartwood of about 40-year cedar grown in Oguni, Kumamoto, Japan. We examined the influence of extract components from Japanese cedar woods on the expression of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) during heating, and on the micronucleus formation induced by the treatment of bleomycin as a DNA damaging agent. Cell lines used in this study were human fetal glial cells (SVGp12) and human glioma cells (MO54). Remarkable suppression of the Hsp70 expression induced by heating at 43°C was detected by the treatment of cedar extract in both SVGp12 and MO54 cells. We also found that cedar extract had an inhibitory tendency to reduce the micronucleus formation induced by bleomycin. From these results, the extract components from Japanese cedar woods would have an inhibitory effect of the stress response as a suppression of the heat-induced Hsp70 expression, and might have a reductive effect on carcinogenicity.

The present research was devoted to evaluating the effect of provenance and wood pyrolysis process on the phytochemical and antioxidant activity of essential oils extracted from sawdust and tar of Cedrus atlantica Manetti of Morocco. The essential oils were obtained by hydro-distillation from Cedar wood growing in two geographical locations of the Middle Atlas of Morocco (Senoual and Itzer forests) using a Clevenger-type apparatus and analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Seventy compounds were approximately identified for each essential oil, accounting for 94% of the total oil’s composition, with the predominance of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, where, α-himachalene (13.75%, 1.15%, 12.2%, and 16.69%) and β-himachalene (24.05%, 24.25%, 27.67%, and 44.23%) represented the major constituents in the four essential oils obtained. Multivariate analysis was used to discriminate the essential oils using principal component analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Clustering Analysis (HCA). In addition, heatmap for dendrogram was used to investigate any correlation between the chemical profiles of each essential oil. Moreover, the antioxidant properties of the essential oils were studied using DPPH scavenging and Ferric Ion Reducing Power (FRAP). The results indicate that the essential oils from wood tar of Cedrus atlantica possess a strong antioxidant activity (IC50 = 0.126 mg/mL and 0.143 mg/mL) in comparison with those from sawdust (IC50 = 15.6 mg/mL and 16.3 mg/mL).

Biochars have been proposed for remediation of metal-contaminated water due to their low cost, high surface area and high sorption capacity for metals. However, there is a lack of understanding over how feedstock material and pyrolysis conditions contribute to the metal sorption capacity of biochar. We produced biochars from 10 different organic materials by pyrolysing at 450 °C and a further 10 biochars from cedar wood by pyrolysing at 50 °C intervals (250–700 °C). Batch sorption experiments were conducted to derive the maximum Cu and Zn sorption capacity of each biochar. The results revealed an exponential relationship between Cu and Zn sorption capacity and the feedstock C/N ratio and a sigmoidal relationship between the pyrolysis temperature and the maximum Cu and Zn sorption capacity. FTIR analysis revealed that as temperature increased, the abundance of functional groups reduced. We conclude that the high sorption capacity of high temperature biochars is due to an electrostatic attraction between positively charged Cu and Zn ions and delocalised pi-electrons on the greater surface area of these biochars. These findings demonstrate a method for predicting the maximum sorption capacity of a biochar based on the feedstock C/N ratio and the pyrolysis temperature. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11356-017-1047-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.