Treesearch

Interest in cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)/cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) made from woody biomass has been growing rapidly with close attention from pulp and paper industry, governments, universities, and research institutes. Many new products development with CNCs have been studied intensively. However, little life-cycle analysis (LCA) has been conducted for the environmental impact from these nano-material-containing products and their associated production. Life-cycle analysis can identify environmental "hotspots", which can guide process design changes leading to reductions in the environmen...

A vibration testing method based on free vibration theory in a ‘‘free–free” support condition was investigated for evaluating the modulus of elasticity (MOE) of full-size wood composite panels (WCPs). Vibration experiments were conducted on three types of WCPs (medium density fibreboard, particleboard, and plywood) to determine the dynamic MOE of the panels. Static bending test was performed on small specimens cut from the panels to determine the static MOE. A strong linear relationship was found between dynamic MOE of full size panels and static MOE of small specimens. Dynamic MOE of...

This article introduces an insulation system that takes advantage of the low thermal conductivity of still air and is made of wood and paper. The insulation, called the Mirrorpanel, is constructed as a panel of closely spaced layers of coated paper and held together in a frame of wood or fiberboard. Panels have been fabricated and tested at the laboratory scale, whole wall scale, and the building scale. A 1.2-m by 2-m by 0.185-m-thick wall section had an apparent thermal conductance of only 0.204 W m-2 K-1 including the structural wood frame, which is equivalent to a US R-value of 27.9 h...

In this paper, we demonstrate microwave flexible thin-film transistors (TFTs) on biodegradable substrates towards potential green portable devices. The combination of cellulose nanofibrillated fiber (CNF) substrate, which is a biobased and biodegradable platform, with transferrable single crystalline Si nanomembrane (Si NM), enables the realization of truly biodegradable, flexible, and high performance devices. Double-gate flexible Si NM TFTs built on a CNF substrate have shown an electron mobility of 160 cm2/V•s and ƒT and ƒmax of 4.9GHz and 10.6GHz, respectively. This demonstration...

Modulus of elasticity (MOE, or E) is one of the main quality indicators in structural lumber stress grading systems. Due to a relatively high amount of variability in contemporary sawn lumber, it is important that nondestructive evaluation technology be utilized to better discern high-E-value pieces from low-E-value pieces. The research described in this study is from a laboratory test of three nondestructive technologies applied to 343 pieces of visually graded No. 2 southern pine lumber collected across the southeast region of the United States. The evaluated technologies included...

Simultaneous control over optical and thermal properties is particularly challenging and highly desired in fields like organic electronics. Here we incorporated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) into polyethylene oxide (PEO) in an attempt to preserve the iridescent CNC optical reflection given by their chiral nematic organisation, while reducing the composite thermal expansion. The hydrophilic nature and long-range self-organisation of CNCs facilitated structural control in the PEO matrix. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) was determined by using contrast-enhanced microscopy digital...

Increasing stringency of energy codes and the growing market demand for more energy efficient buildings gives structural insulated panel (SIP) construction an opportunity to increase its use in commercial and residential buildings. However, shear wall aspect ratio limitations and lack of knowledge on how to design SIPs with window and door openings are barriers to the wider adoption of SIP technology. An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the lateral resistance performance of high-aspect-ratio SIP shear wall segments and SIP shear walls with window and door openings. At most two...

Chemical detection, mapping and imaging in three dimensions will help refine our understanding of wood properties and durability. We describe here a pioneering infrared method to create visual 3D images of the chemicals in wood, providing for the first time, spatial and architectural information at the cellular level without liquid extraction or prior fixation. Analysis utilized high-resolution Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy that obtains infrared light from a synchrotron beamline facility at the University of Wisconsin Synchrotron Radiation Center that is equipped with...

Long-term durability data are needed to improve service life estimates for treated wood products used as critical structural supports in industrial applications. This article reports the durability of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) posts pressure treated with ammoniacal copper arsenate (ACA), chromated copper arsenate (CCA), creosote, or pentachlorophenol and exposed for 50 years in southern Mississippi. During inspections, posts were subjected to a pass/fail evaluation by applying a load to the top of the post. No failures occurred in any of the 125 posts treated with CCA or in any of...