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•Edge-sealants for cross-laminated timber that minimise water accumulation thereby reducing the risk of mould growth.•Edge-sealing the end grain of earlywood sapwood lowered the ...moisture uptake the most.•Inclusion of a mould inhibitor in the edge-sealing had the greatest effect when applied to the combination end grain, sapwood, and latewood.•Simulated moisture content and mould growth decreased with increased latitude in Sweden.•Proposed artificial intelligence data fusion method to predict water absorption and subsequent desorption of coating systems.
Edge-sealing, which involves treating the edges of wood products, improves water resistance. This study investigated the feasibility of edge-sealed cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels to reduce capillary water uptake, thereby resisting mould formation. The water and vapour permeabilities of ten characteristically different single-layer sealant coating systems were systematically determined. Multi-modal assessment leveraged by computed tomography (CT) scanning methodology was used to enhance detection of material characteristics beyond the standard coating permeability assessment. Moisture content was observed to change during the specimens’ absorption and desorption depending on the sealant system applied. The results revealed different characteristics of coatings during the water absorption and desorption stages. Findings from this study were used to develop recommendations regarding the water resistance of coating systems, curing time, susceptibility to mould formation, and industrial applicability. Results suggest that edge-sealed CLT could minimise the risk of mould formation, which can occur at worksites with minimal weather protection. The method developed in this study provides a basis to evaluate new coating systems and determine which use case is the best for a particular coating type. This study also incorporates insights from industry to identify future research orientations, which may pave the way for new designs and assessment techniques.
The elasticity in bending of European oak (Quercus robur L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) timber was evaluated before and after thermal modification and related to the changes in ...chemical composition of the wood as a result of the modification. A new software was developed (MATESS) and used to identify characteristic points on the force-deformation diagram. The modulus of elasticity (MOE), stress at the limit of proportionality (LOP) and elastic potential (PE) were used to describe the wood properties. Extractives, lignin, cellulose, holocellulose, and hemicelluloses were analysed to reveal the patterns that occur during the loading of the specimens. Thermal modification lowers the mechanical properties (MOE, LOP and PE) of oak and spruce wood, and the reduction increases with increasing modification temperature. Changes in chemical composition of thermally modified wood show a strong relationship to the reduction in elasticity properties for bot species.
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a technology that, for a multitude of raw materials, can be used in the production of complex structures. Many of the materials that currently dominate 3D printing ...(e.g. titanium, steel, plastics, and concrete) have issues with high costs and environmental sustainability. Wood powder is a widely available and renewable lignocellulosic material that, when used as a fibre component, can reduce the cost of 3D printed products. Wood powder in combination with synthetic or natural binders has potential for producing a wide variety of products and for prototyping. The use of natural binders along with wood powder can then enable more sustainable 3D printed products. However, 3D printing is an emerging technology in many applications and more research is needed. This review aims to provide insight into wood powder as a component in 3D printing, properties of resulting products, and the potential for future applications.
Irregular seasonal demand from heat- and combined heat and power plants means that outdoor storage of forest fuels is an inevitable step in the forest fuel supply chain. Storage of fresh comminuted ...biomass render substantial dry matter and energy losses. Covering can protect wood chips from rewetting, leading to a higher net calorific value and lower dry matter losses, and thus increase the amount of available energy. This study examined the combined effect of covering material on fuel quality and the amount available energy from wood chips stored in a full-scale pile. The combined changes in fuel quality and dry matter loss reduced the amount of accessible energy by 9.8% in the uncovered part, by 5.6% when covered with water proof or light semi-permeable cover materials and by 1.0% when covered with a thicker semi permeable material. Fuel quality of wood chips can be improved by covering the piles during storage but the gain is affected by the type of cover material. Seasonal storage in properly covered chip piles facilitate an increased annual utilisation of chippers and chip trucks which reduces overall biomass supply chain cost.
•Wood chip storage with five different covering materials was investigated for six months.•Uncovered wood chip piles suffered 1.1% dry-matter losses per month.•Fuel quality of wood chips can be improved by covering during storage.•Cover with a semi-permeable sheet resulted in dry matter losses of 0.4% per month.•The profitability of wood chip supply chains could be significantly increased.
Lignin's antibacterial properties have become increasingly relevant due to the rise of microbial infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance. Lignin is capable of interacting electrostatically with ...bacteria and contains polyphenols that cause damage to their cell walls. These features make lignin a desirable material to exhibit antibacterial behavior. Therefore, lignin in antibacterial applications offers a novel approach to address the growing need for sustainable and effective antibacterial materials. Recent research has explored the incorporation of lignin in various biomedical applications, such as wound dressings, implants, and drug delivery systems, highlighting their potential as a sustainable alternative to synthetic antibacterial agents. Furthermore, the development of lignin-based nanomaterials with enhanced antimicrobial activity is an active area of research that holds great promise for the future. In this review, we have provided a summary of how lignin can be incorporated into different forms, such as composite and non-composite synthesis of antibacterial agents and their performances. The challenges and future considerations are also discussed in this review article.
Nanocelluloses, which include nanofibrillated celluloses (NFCs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with high and low aspect ratios, respectively, are promising new bio-based nanomaterials, prepared ...from wood and other plant celluloses by mechanical shearing in water with or without pretreatments. Low degrees of enzymatic hydrolysis, carboxymethylation, acetylation, oxidation, and other position-selective modifications on cellulose microfibril surfaces have been applied as pretreatments to wood celluloses to reduce energy consumption in the mechanical shearing process and to improve the nanofibrillation level of the obtained NFCs. NFCs are convertible to nanocellulose sheets, films, hydrogels, foams, and aerogels with fibril network structures or close-packing structures using coating on base films or filtration process like papermaking, which is advantageous for efficient removal of water predominantly present in the NFC/water dispersions. NFC-containing self-standing films, coated films, and NFC/matrix nanocomposites in most cases show explicitly high mechanical strength and ductility despite being lightweight and having optical transparency, thermal stability, and gas-barrier properties. Because NFCs have aspect ratios and molecular weights higher than those of CNCs, the most promising and challenging end products are NFC-containing nanocomposite materials having higher functionalities than those of the conventional fiber-reinforced composite materials.
In this study, pine sapwood was first impregnated with micronized copper (Cu) solution at concentrations of 5 and 10%, the samples then dried and impregnated with ethyl palmitate as a bio-based phase ...change material (BPCM). The leakage test showed slightly less leakage in this scenario compare to controls without copper. The mould test showed using copper solution, significattly improves the resistance of the composites to mould growth. Thermal tests showed using BPCM improves thermal conductivity and thermal mass of the composites, enabling them to store and release energy within the temperature range of 20-25ºC. It is observed that the copper did not improve thermal conductivity, and 5% copper showed the best performance in thermal mass improvement.
The specific goals of this paper are the following:1. To determine, using beech-dominated pristine forests as anexample,themaindrivingforcesofgenerationrenewal ...intermsoflifecycledurationandspatialrenewalpatterns; 2. Toillustratecontrastinglightrequirementsduringrenewal by comparing pristine oak and beech forests; 3. To elucidate the lower limits of stocking and canopy openness for silvicultural renewal in small clusters based on pristine forest research; 4. Topresentanapproachforimplementingthesefindingsin a liberal and versatile forest management
Worldwide, huge quantities of organic wastes are generated annually in the forest industry, but most of these wastes are discarded. Only a minor proportion is used, mainly for biofuel and secondarily ...for compost production. Simultaneously, demand for more and new food products is increasing due to rapid growth in the global population. In recent years, use of edible insects has been proposed as one promising solution to an upcoming food supply crisis. The rearing of insects for human food and livestock feed has some significant advantages, like high protein content, effective feed conversion rate, low greenhouse gas emissions and low water requirements. The aim of this review was to compile up-to-date information on rearing edible insects for food and feed and to investigate the potential use of forest biomass waste as a new substrate for insect rearing.
•The human population on Earth is predicted to grow exponentially and an increasing demand for animal-based food is expected.•Traditionally, most insect species used for food purposes have been harvested in the wild from natural forests.•Forest organic wastes comprise huge lignocellulose and nutrient stocks for edible insects.•Forest wood-feeding insects are mainly herbivores, but display wide variation in their utilisation of food substrates.•Insect species are already harvested in wild for food and feed purposes, mainly in Africa and Asia.
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