Treesearch

Wood deterioration due to basidiomycetous decay fungi shortens the useful life span of wood and wood-based materials. Prescriptive preservative treatment is the most effective way to reduce the detrimental effects of these microorganisms, particularly in soil contact and areas of critical use (difficult to replace or vital to structure). Current American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) guidelines in the standardized use category system specify 3 zones of severity regarding wood decay fungal hazards but contain very little information on the diversity and abundance of these fungi...

The catalytic transfer hydrogenation (CTH) of levulinate ester to γ-valerolactone is one of the important reactions for production of renewable fuels from biomass. An efficient and robust bimetallic Cu–Ru catalyst were developed for the hydrogenation of biomass-derived ethyl levulinate to γ-valerolactone. A series of bimetallic catalysts were prepared and characterized in detail. Subsequently, the as-prepared catalysts were evaluated in the hydrogenation system of ethyl levulinate. The results showed that Cu–Ru/ZrO2–SO3–SiO2-450 catalyst provided 100% GVL yield in 12h at 180 °C. Meanwhile,...

Wood is a versatile and renewable resource utilized in a wide range of applications, including tools, furniture, construction, and advanced engineering structures. However, certain inherent properties of wood, such as moisture and ultraviolet (UV) degradation, impose limitations on its long-term durability and dimensional stability for outdoor applications. This research investigates the weathering durability of cross-laminated timber (CLT) blocks surface-treated with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles synthesized via liquid-precursor flame spray pyrolysis (FSP), directly deposited onto...

Food waste especially for perishable fruit is highly problematic for a global society that continues to grow in population. Coating fruit is one such approach to minimize waste. To assess economic and environmental risks and opportunities of a novel fruit-coating solution before industrial deployment is pursued, an industrial-scale process model was developed based on an optimized experimental process to produce soy protein isolate-cellulose nanocrystal bionanocomposite coating for perishable fruits (avocado for this study). Techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment were carried...

Today, the application of green materials in the building industry is the norm rather than the exception and reflects an attempt to mitigate the sector’s environmental impacts. Mass timber is growing rapidly in the construction field because of its long span, speed of installation, lightness and toughness, carbon sequestration capabilities, renewability, fire rating, acoustic isolation, and thermal resistance. Mass timber is close to overtaking steel and concrete as the preferred material. The endeavor of this research is to quantitatively assess the ability of this green material to...

Moving beyond the traditional focus on U.S.-Canada trade, this study employs the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) to explore the broader dynamics of softwood lumber imports. A key contribution of this research is the recognition of spatial spillover effects, revealing the influence of third-country exporters on U.S. softwood lumber imports.The positive spatial dependence coefficient suggests that countries exporting softwood lumber to the U.S. stimulate their neighbors to follow suit, emphasizing the importance of accounting for spatial interdependencies in wood products trade analysis. These...

Building construction and operation accounts for over a third of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption. To determine whether more prevalent use of mass timber (MT) construction could significantly reduce environmental impacts of construction, we performed whole building life cycle assessment (WBLCA), using Athena Impact Estimator for Buildings (IE4B) software, on a series of nine multi-story residential buildings of three varying materials and heights. Three MT buildings of 18-, 12-, and 8-story heights, respectively represent IV-A, -B, and –C occupancie...

This study evaluated the effect of contact charring plus linseed oil submersion on wood chemistry and microstructure in Pinus taeda and Eucalyptus bosistoana wood specimens. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy analyses were performed to characterize charred wood in comparison to uncharred controls. Total lignin content increased to nearly 53% and 55% in the outer surfaces of the charred P. taedaand E. bosistoana specimens, respectively. The inner parts of the charred specimens also demonstrated increases higher than 50%...

Mass timber building construction is a natural way to mitigate climate change and prevent its associated potential global catastrophic problems. To show the mitigating impact of mass timber, an international research team led by The Nature Conversancy conducted whole-building life-cycle assessments to compare wood structures with corresponding concrete structures for 8-, 12-, and 18-story buildings, based on the 2021 International Building Code, for three regions in the United States. This report covers the set of buildings for one of those regions, specifically the set of buildings...

Naturally durable wood pre-dates preservative-treated wood and has been demonstrated to offer a suitable service life for certain applications where preservative-treated wood is not feasible. Heartwood extractives have been demonstrated to impart bio-deteriorative resistance to naturally durable wood species. These extractives are typically found in the heartwood of living trees and are produced either by the death of parenchyma cells or as the result of external stimuli. The mechanisms of natural durability are not well understood, as heartwood extractives can be extremely variable in...