Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

The paper aims to analyze and classified some exotic wood species from tropical Africa, on regard to calorific features, in order to view the ability of their biomass to be a solid, natural and renewable fuel.  The calorific values of wood wastes of eight tropical species were determined using an oxygen bomb calorimeter. The tested specimens were conditioned at a moisture content of 10%, 20%, and 50%. The influence of moisture content on calorific value and density, heat release rate and calorific efficiency were also analyzed. The biggest high calorific value and low calorific value were obtained by Guaiac and Rose species (21200-20700 kJ/kg). Acajou had the lowest values of high calorific value and low calorific value (18929 and 18456 kJ/kg, respectively). For higher wood density (Guaiac) the higher calorific density was obtained. The moisture content of specimens had negatively influenced the calorific efficiency and rate of energy release. The ash content was below 4% with highest values for Guaiac (3.6%) and the lowest for Acajou (0.5%). The results showed that the analyzed tropical wood species had a forest calorific capacity with 23-47% higher than of European beech, thus can be considered a good potential as renewable energy resources.

The study examined the influence of ultraviolet radiation on the colour of thermo-mechanically modified beech (Fagus sylvatica ) and oak (Quercus robur). The wood colour parameters were measured using the mathematical CIE L*a*b* and L*C*h colour space models. The higher the temperature of thermo-mechanical treatment, the least susceptible beech and oak wood was to a change in L*, a* and b* under the influence of light irradiation. The greatest changes in the colour of non-densified and densified beech and oak wood occurred after 20 h of light irradiation. The higher the temperature of thermo-mechanical treatment, the smaller were the total changes in the colour of beech and oak wood under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. The total changes in the colour of beech densified at temperatures of 100°C and 150°C that took place under the influence of ultraviolet radiation were twice as high as in the case of densified oak wood. The colour of oak wood modified at a temperature of 200°C did not change significantly in 300 h of light irradiation.

The present work regards an attempt to obtain particles from the post-industrial pine plywood in a single-shaft shredder. A screen mesh size determines the wood particles characteristics. In the work 10–, 14–, 25– and 38–mm mesh size screens were used. The urea-formaldehyde (UF) and phenol-formaldehyde (PF) bonded plywood were shredded separately, so that the effect of the binder type could be analyzed. The determined fractional composition, bulk density, dimensions and surface area of the particles were compared to the industrial virgin pine particles dedicated to the core layer of particleboards. The results showed that the particles obtained from a 14–mm mesh screen exhibited properties closest to those found for the virgin particles.

Wood strength values are calculated based on the characteristic value, which corresponds to the 5 % percentile of a given probability distribution model. For a few number of samples (12 samples), the Brazilian standard ABNT NBR (7190) establishes an estimator of the characteristic compressive strength parallel to grain of the wood, which may provide a different result when compared with the characteristic value coming from a suitable probability distribution model. Considering the strength results in the parallel compression to the grain of 45 wood species of the hardwood group, Normal, LogNormal, Weibull and Exponential probability distribution models were used for each specie with the purpose of determining the one with the highest adhesion. Calculated the characteristic values by the best probability model distribution, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed in the estimation of the characteristic value of compressive strength, making it possible to identify the most significant terms of the models as well as the quality of the adjustment obtained on such models. The proposed regression model (R2 adj= 96,56 %) proved to be equivalent to the empirical model of the Brazilian standard. The model proposed here only depends on the mean and the lowest value obtained from the compressive strength in the parallel direction to the grain.

Organic substances have been used for different wood treatments, especially impregnation procedures, aiming to improve certain wood properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate dimensional stability and colorimetric features for a mature pine wood (Pinus elliottii) impregnated by vacuum-pressure process with variable concentrations (10 wt%, 25 wt% and 50 wt%) of furfuryl alcohol (using ethyl alcohol as catalyst). The wood samples were characterized for: linear shrinkages, linear swellings, shrinkage anisotropy, swelling anisotropy, as well as colorimetric parameters (following the CIELab method). The impregnation with furfuryl alcohol increased the dimensional stability of the studied pine wood and the treatment with 50 wt% of furfuryl alcohol stood out based on these results. Regarding the colour patterns, there were changes in the final colorimetric appearances of the treated wood samples, which acquired darker and reddish colours when compared to the pristine group. The treatment with 50 wt% furfuryl alcohol again was responsible for the highest colour change and, because of that, may be indicated for solid wood products with high added value.

Los simuladores de procesos químicos representan una herramienta competitiva y funcional que apoya eficazmente el estudio de procesos tan complejos como la conversión termoquímica de la biomasa, específicamente en el modelado y simulación de los mismos. Se diseñan y validan los módulos de programación de un simulador para sistemas en equilibrio líquido vapor con propiedades termodinámicas en exceso, aplicado en procesos de conversión de biomasa forestal como es el caso del Aserrín de Pino (Pinus Arizonica). El diseño involucra el cálculo de la constante de equilibrio por el método fi-gamma con nuevas herramientas de cómputo para la predicción de las propiedades de las fases en equilibrio, y el cálculo del coeficiente de actividad partiendo de los modelos matemáticos de composición local NRTL, UNIQUAC y UNIFAC. Se seleccionó el método de Newton-Raphson para resolver subrutinas de cálculo. En la validación se incorporaron doce (12) nuevos componentes a la librería y sub-módulos de las propiedades de las fases líquido y vapor. La estimación de los puntos de burbuja y rocío para todos los métodos arrojó errores promedios inferiores al 3%, y la composición de la fase de vapor y las propiedades de las fases en equilibrio no superó el 10%.

An increase in demand on solid wood that is insufficient supply to meet in the world necessarily directed to other engineering materials that could be an alternative to the solid wood. In this context, instead of using solid wood in furniture and construction industry, wood-based panels such as medium density fiberboard (MDF) and particleboard (PB) have become widely used as construction material. Limited research has been done in the field of fastener performance as mechanical properties with different parameters in the joints constructed with these panels. Therefore, in this study, the parameters of screw type, pilot hole, screw orientation, water treatment and adhesives were investigated in MDF and PB. The results indicated that the highest direct screw withdrawal (DSW) resistance was observed in the test blocks applied with PU and the lowest DSW resistance was in the test blocks without a pilot hole drilled in both materials. In addition, MDF in general had better DSW resistance than PB in almost all combinations of the parameters. The treatment of water into MDF and PB test blocks negatively affects the DSW resistance. The DSW resistance in the face orientation was found to be higher than the corresponding ones in the side orientation in both materials.

In order to assess the moisture content of wood chips on an industrial scale, readily applicable techniques are required. Thus, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used to estimate moisture in wood chips by means of partial least squares regressions. NIR spectra were obtained in spectrometer with an integrating sphere and optical fiber probe, on the longitudinal and transverse surface of Eucalyptus wood chips. The specimens had their masses and NIR spectra measured in 10 steps during drying from saturated to anhydrous condition. Principal Component Analysis was performed to explore the effect of moisture of wood chip on NIR signatures. The values of moisture content of chips were associated with the respective NIR spectra by Partial Least Squares Regression (PLS-R) and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) to estimate the moisture content of wood chips and its moisture classes, respectively. Model developed from spectra recorded on the longitudinal face by the integrating sphere method presented statistics slightly better (R²cv = 0,96; RMSEcv = 7,15 %) than model based on optical fiber probe (R²cv = 0,90; RMSEcv = 11,86 %). This study suggests that for calibration of robust predictive model for estimating moisture content in chips the spectra should be recorded on the longitudinal surface of wood using the integrating sphere acquisition method.

Water is one of the most significant factors for the durability of wood. A common solution is to use a coating to protect and maintain low water content. However, little knowledge exists how the underlying wood substrate affects the water sorption of coated wood. Therefore, the liquid water absorption of coated and uncoated Norway spruce heartwood and sapwood with a variety of densities was measured by letting the panels float freely in the water. The effect of one year weathering of the coatings was also included. Coated heartwood and sapwood had no difference in water absorption in opposite to uncoated spruce. The influence of heartwood and sapwood seemed to have limited impact when a coating hindered the presence of free water. Wood density had a positive effect on the absorption of coated wood, i.e. low absorption for low-density samples, in opposite to uncoated samples. Low-density characteristic also contributed to a lower increase of water absorption after weather degradation, for samples with water-borne coatings. Natural weathering enhanced the effect of wood characteristics on coated samples, likely by an increase of coating permeability.

This comparative study focused on understanding the effect of coupling agent and particle size on weathering behaviour of wood polypropylene composite. Two coupling agents, namely maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene and m-TMI (m-Isopropenyl-a,a- dimethylbenzyl isocyanate) grafted polypropylene were used in preparation of the composites. The composites were exposed to outdoor conditions for one year and changes in surface colour and mechanical properties were measured after 2, 4, 8 and 12 months of natural weathering. During the initial four months of weathering considerable colour change was observed with increase in lightness.  Mechanical properties were unaffected largely for the initial four months and thereafter started declining.  Overall, tensile strength decreased by about 15 % and flexural strength decreased by about 8 % after one year of weathering. The flexural modulus also decreased by about 10 %. Wood particle size was found to affect the aesthetic and strength of the composites after natural weathering. Coupling agents had a positive impact on mechanical properties however their influence on weathering degradation was not noticeable.