With climate change and increasingly fierce international trade competition, upgrading the global value chains (GVCs) under the sustainable development mode is becoming a key transformation for ...China's wood industry. This study applies system dynamics theory to build a model of upgrading and evolution of the GVC of the wood industry based on sustainable green growth and uses Vensim PLE software for system simulation. The results demonstrate that (1) under the framework of sustainable green growth, the optimization of industry structure and security of resource supply play an important role in promoting the position of the GVC. (2) improving technological innovation capacity, plantation forest stock, carbon emission reduction intensity, and wage growth is essential to upgrade the wood industry's position in the GVC. (3) different policy implementations have different impacts on the coupled and coordinated development of the system, and implementing innovation-driven policies is the optimal realization path to promote the synergistic upgrading of the GVC. The findings enrich the holistic and systematic study of the evolution of GVC upgrading in traditional manufacturing industries and provide a fresh perspective for assisting the wood industry in realizing GVC upgrading under a sustainable green growth model.
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•A framework for sustainable green growth in the Chinese wood industry is developed.•Mechanisms for upgrading the global value chain are constructed and simulated.•Industry structure and resource supply are critical in the upgrading mechanisms.•Innovation-driven policies are the optimal path for upgrading global value chains.
Radio Frequency (RF) based heating application is used in multiple industries like drying cross-laminated woods, food and packaging, melting silicon etc. These industrial RF heating plants operate at ...frequencies of 6.78 MHz, 13.56 MHz, or 27.12 MHz (ISM band). Historically, the high frequency requirement has forced the industry to rely on vacuum tube based RF generator, which are only 60% efficient. Modern semiconductors like wide bandgap (WBG) devices have achieved the high frequency operation that is required to replace the inefficient vacuum tubes. However, a comprehensive study of load network for an industrial RF heating plant has not been undertaken such that an existing plant can be retrofitted with semiconductor based turn-key solution. In this paper the authors present design equations for an industrial RF dielectric heating load structure and suggest necessary modifications required to replace vacuum tube RF generator with voltage source converter (VSC). A new figure of merit (FOM) is defined that impacts the load structure efficiency. Finally, a small-scale prototype load is manufactured as a case study. The prototype demonstrated an output power of 750 W at 6.76 MHz with an overall efficiency of 90% from DC input to RF load which can not be achieved with a vacuum tube technology.
In addition to forest ecosystems, wood products are carbon pools that can be strategically managed to mitigate climate change. Wood product models (WPMs) simulating the carbon balance of wood ...production, use and end of life can complement forest growth models to evaluate the mitigation potential of the forest sector as a whole. WPMs can be used to compare scenarios of product use and explore mitigation strategies. A considerable number of WPMs have been developed in the last three decades, but there is no review available analysing their functionality and performance. This study analyses and compares 41 WPMs. One surprising initial result was that we discovered the erroneous implementation of a few concepts and assumptions in some of the models. We further described and compared the models using six model characteristics (bucking allocation, industrial processes, carbon pools, product removal, recycling and substitution effects) and three model‐use characteristics (system boundaries, model initialization and evaluation of results). Using a set of indicators based on the model characteristics, we classified models using a hierarchical clustering technique and differentiated them according to their increasing degrees of complexity and varying levels of user support. For purposes of simulating carbon stock in wood products, models with a simple structure may be sufficient, but to compare climate change mitigation options, complex models are needed. The number of models has increased substantially over the last ten years, introducing more diversity and accuracy. Calculation of substitution effects and recycling has also become more prominent. However, the lack of data is still an important constraint for a more realistic estimation of carbon stocks and fluxes. Therefore, if the sector wants to demonstrate the environmental quality of its products, it should make it a priority to provide reliable life cycle inventory data, particularly regarding aspects of time and location.
Batch sorption with untreated
Pinus sylvestris sawdust after settling/sedimentation phase to remove vanadium and lead from a real industrial wastewater was investigated using different adsorbent ...doses, initial pH, and contact time. The development of pH along the sorption test and a parallel investigation of metals release from sawdust in distilled water were carried out. In order to evaluate kinetic parameters and equilibrium isotherms, Lagergren first-order, pseudo-second-order, intra-particle diffusion and Freundlich models were explored. When the initial pH was reduced from 7.4 to 4.0, the sorption efficiency increased from 32% to 99% for Pb and from 43% to 95% for V. Whereas, V removal was positively correlated with the adsorbent dose, Pb removal was not. The sorption process was best described by pseudo-second-order kinetics. According to Freundlich parameters (
K
f
and
n) sawdust presented unfavourable intensity for sorption of V.
Australia has significant wood resources in its native forest, but the resource available for harvest becomes lesser due to the conversion of native forest to conservation reserves. The natural ...occurrences of bushfires, droughts, and cyclones are highly destructive, making the situation worse. The shortage of wood resources is having a significant negative impact on Australia because wood is so scarce that they cannot meet domestic demands, especially durable wood. Australia cleared approximately 100 million hectares of its land to establish forest plantations, and two million trees were planted. However, most of these plantations are for pulpwood production; however, their application for high-value products is limited due to their undesirable properties. Wood modification is a process of improving unfavorable wood properties to be utilized for a wide range of applications. Australia has not adopted any of these modification processes; it still depends on the less toxic wood preservative to treat wood. This study focuses on the recent advancement in industrial wood modification worldwide and how it may be used to modify Eucalyptus wood for high-value applications. The opportunities and suggestions for Eucalyptus wood modification in Australia will be discussed. Before the study concludes, the future of commercial wood modification for Eucalyptus plantation in Australia will also be presented. KCI Citation Count: 4
•Developed a mathematical model to manage the wood market interactions in the post-hurricane timber market.•Maximizing the total profit of the landowners and the mills in the post-hurricane timber ...market.•Developed two decomposition methods to speed up the solution process.•A case study is developed to visualize and validate the modeling results.
Among other factors, the softwood industry is disrupted by a large number of hurricanes that landfall in the southern U.S. Lack of efficient tools to manage the wood market interactions in the post-hurricane situation increases timber salvage loss drastically. In this study, we propose a bi-level mixed-integer linear programming model that captures important features such as the hurricane’s degree, quality of damaged timbers, price-related issues, optimizes different critical decisions (e.g., purchasing, storage, and transportation decisions) of a post-hurricane damaged timber management problem. The overall goal is to provide an efficient decision-making tool for planning and recovering damaged timber to maximize its monetary value and mitigate its negative ecological impacts. Due to the complexity associated with solving the proposed model, we developed two exact solution methods, namely, the enhanced Benders decomposition and the Benders-based branch-and-cut algorithms, to efficiently solve the model in a reasonable timeframe. We use 15 coastal counties in southeast Mississippi to visualize and validate the algorithms’ performance. Key managerial insights are drawn on the sensitivity of a number of critical parameters, such as selling/purchasing prices offered by the landowners/mills, quality-level, and deterioration rate of the damaged timbers on their economic recovery following a natural catastrophe.
The purpose of this study is to clarify the formation of the area of forestry and wood industry in the region from the viewpoint of transition of the wood production structure through consideration ...of business relationships between businesses centered on Yamacho-Shoten in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture. It was found that Yamacho-Shoten has built a mutually complementary relationship with various businesses in the region with the integrated wood production system of foresting, sawing, processing, and selling. The wood production structure of Yamacho-Shoten resists the decline in regional vitality and guarantees the continuation of other forestry and wood production businesses.
The optimization of sawing processes in the wood industry is critical for maximizing efficiency and profitability. The introduction of computerized tomography scanners provides sawmill operators with ...three-dimensional internal models of logs, which can be used to assess value and yield more accurately. We present a methodology for solving the sawing optimization problem employing a flexible sawing scheme that allows greater flexibility in cutting logs into products while considering product quality classes influenced by wane defects. The methodology has two phases: preprocessing and optimization. In the preprocessing phase, two alternative algorithms are given that generate and evaluate the potential sawing positions of products by considering the 3D surface of the log, product size requirements, and product quality classes. In the optimization phase, a maximum set-packing problem is solved for the preprocessed data using mixed-integer programming (MIP), aiming to obtain a feasible cut pattern that maximizes value yield. This is implemented in a system named FlexSaw, which takes advantage of parallel computation during the preprocessing phase and utilizes a MIP solver during the optimization phase. The proposed sawing methods are evaluated on the Swedish Pine Stem Bank. Additionally, FlexSaw is compared with an existing tool that utilizes cant sawing. Results demonstrate the superiority of flexible sawing. While the practical feasibility of implementing a flexible way of sawing logs is constrained by the limitations of current sawmill machinery, the potential increase in yield promotes the exploration of alternative machinery in the wood industry.
•A sawing optimization problem is studied considering product grading based on wane.•Algorithms were developed to maximize value yield based on a flexible sawing scheme.•A system employing a MIP solver was developed for decision-making.•Parallel processing was utilized to reduce preprocessing time.•Superior performance over conventional cant sawing was demonstrated in a case study.
Standalone boron offers sufficient protection for internal application, where wood is protected from moisture, but boron is easily leached out when used in an external environment. Researchers have ...done extensive work on reducing boron leaching in wood, but there is little commercialisation of using boron for external applications. The situation is even worse in the case of refractory wood because, despite being hard to treat, it is treatable using boron. However, the boron cannot be retained inside the wood; thus, a system must be developed to reduce the boron movement. This system which would envelop the wood, will reduce the boron movement out of the wood, and it can only be done by using a barrier. As this review paper presented, many coating systems are available, and the possibility is endless to find a good, workable barrier. Thus, a set of key performance indicators are presented in this study to ease the barrier selection process in the future for boron movement reduction related studies. The findings from this study indicated that wax, water-borne copper-based preservative and polyurethane-acrylic are significant in reducing the boron movement in refractory wood. The outcome of this study is useful for future study in boron related study, especially in Australian wood. The framework provided from this study marks a significant step towards the commercialisation of the boron treatment process in the wood processing industry.
•Boron-based preservatives can be used to treat wood for external application if the leaching can be reduced.•There are numerous barriers for boron-dual treatment, and it can be customised according to the final wood application.•Wax, water-borne copper-based preservative, and acrylic polyurethane were useful for boron-dual treatment in refractory wood.
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