Treesearch

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) can be attractive templates for the generation of functional inorganic/organic nanoparticles, given their fine sizes, aspect ratios, and sustainable worldwide availability in abundant quantities. Here, we present for the first time a scalable, surfactant-free, tailorable wet chemical process for converting commercially available CNCs into individual aspected gold nanoshell-bearing particles with tunable surface plasmon resonance bands. Using a rational cellulose functionalization approach, stable suspensions of positively charged CNCs have been generated....

A new family of materials comprised of cellulose, cellulose nanomaterials (CNMs), having properties and functionalities distinct from molecular cellulose and wood pulp, is being developed for applications that were once thought impossible for cellulosic materials. Commercialization, paralleled by research in this field, is fueled by the unique combination of characteristics, such as high on-axis stiffness, sustainability, scalability, and mechanical reinforcement of a wide variety of materials, leading to their utility across a broad spectrum of highperformance material applications....

A new method is proposed for estimation of cellulose crystallinity (CrI) based on 93 cm−1 Raman band in spectra of cellulose I materials. In this method (93-Raman), CrI was determined based on regression that was developed using the ratios of peak-heights of the 93 and 1096 cm−1 Raman bands (I93/I1096). For calibration purposes, a set of eight samples, all derived from cotton microcrystalline cellulose Whatman CC31 were selected. When the peak intensity ratios (I93/I1096) were plotted against the calculated CrIs of the calibration set samples, the plot showed an excellent linear correlation...

Two lignin-containing cellulose nanofibril (LCNF) samples, produced from two unbleached kraft pulps with very different lignin contents, were used to produce reinforced polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels. The effects of LCNF loading (0.25−2wt %) and lignin content on the rheological and mechanical properties of the reinforced hydrogels were investigated. The 2 wt % LCNF-reinforced PVA hydrogels exhibited up to a 17-fold increase in storage modulus and a 4-fold increase in specific Young’s modulus over that of pure PVA hydrogel. Both the mechanical and rheological properties of LCNF-reinforce...

This publication supersedes FPL General Technical Report FPL-GTR-11, “Protecting Log Cabins from Decay” (1977), and FPL Report Number 982, “Making Log Cabins Endure: Suggestions on Construction, Log Selection, Preservation, and Finishing” (1974). These prior reports provided recommendations for preservative formulation and application that are not currently allowed under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations. However, much of the information on log home construction and design remains of value and was transferred from those earlier reports. Additional information was added on...

This report identifies the priority areas in residential construction where technical research and technological advancements offer potential to benefit the industry as it strives to advance the quality of housing and meet today’s market expectations for a home’s cost, performance, durability, and environmental stewardship. The prioritization is performed by home builders based on their experience with constructing new homes.

The U.S. housing market’s quarter three indicated slight improvement from the second quarter, with the exception of multifamily construction. Improvement spending declined within the quarter, quarter-over-quarter, and year-over-year. Viewed from a recent historical context, all housing construction subsectors exceeded the record lows recorded in the 2008 to 2011 time period.

The collective U.S. housing market was mixed in January, and once again new SF sales were revised sharply downward. SF housing starts were robust, and other data series appear to have flat-lined on a monthly basis. Regionally, data were mixed across all sectors. New SF construction and remodeling spending remain positive, increasing at an incremental pace.

The goal of this study was to demonstrate how synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) can be used to better understand the mechanisms of copper tolerance in wood decay fungi. Copper is a major component in commercial wood preservatives as it is toxic to many wood decay fungi. However, certain fungi are copper tolerant and can attack preservative-treated wood, resulting in structural damage to treated wood members. Here we used large-field XFM to visualize six different elements (K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn) in the mycelia and wood inoculated with four different species of brown...

Five full-scale fire experiments were conducted to observe the performance of a two-level apartment-style structure constructed of mass timber. Each level consisted of a one bedroom apartment, an L-shaped corridor, and a stairwell connecting the two levels. One of the primary variables considered in this test series was the amount and location of exposed mass timber. The amount of mass timber surface area protected by gypsum wallboard ranged from 100% to no protection. For each experiment, the fuel load was identical and the fire was initiated in a base cabinet in the kitchen. In the first...