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Quantifying uncertainty in measured properties of nanomaterials is a prerequisite for the manufacture of reliable nanoengineered materials and products. Yet, rigorous uncertainty quantification (UQ) is rarely applied for material property measurements with the atomic force microscope (AFM), a widely used instrument that can measure properties at nanometer scale resolution of both inorganic and biological surfaces and nanomaterials. We present a framework to ascribe uncertainty to local nanomechanical properties of any nanoparticle or surface measured with the AFM by taking into account the...

The concept of sustainable harvests is not new to lumber and paper companies—they have been concerned about it and been practicing it for decades, long before it became the headline in a newspaper article. After decades of static products and markets, the industry is offered an opportunity to add products in a new business sector—fuels and chemicals. Although paper companies have a long association with the naval stores chemical business, this new market will see larger volumes and more numerous product opportunities. As with all new markets, this will create turbulence and there will be...

Although preservative-treated wood is a durable construction material, it is eventually removed from service. The typical fate of treated wood removed from service varies depending on the original application and the type of preservative used. Currently, most treated wood removed from service in the United States is placed in landfills (Clausen 2003). Treated wood is not listed as a hazardous waste under federal law, and it can be disposed of in any waste management facility authorized under state and local law to manage such material. There is no doubt that as volumes of waste increase...

As noted in earlier chapters, the treatment of wood is both art and science. Wood is a variable material; treatment results tend to vary with the preservative and wood species and even within boards of the same species. This means that treated wood often contains a range of preservative retentions. Some pieces will have less than the desired retention, while others may have much more. In aggregate, however, the goal is for the retention in a combined sample of many pieces of wood treated at the same time to have the required chemical loading. The minimum retention is then set to ensure...

This section quantifies the net changes in C stocks in the five forest C pools and two harvested wood pools. The net change in stocks for each pool is estimated, and then the changes in stocks are summed over all pools to estimate total net flux. The focus on C implies that all C-based greenhouse gases are included, and the focus on stock change suggests that specific ecosystem fluxes do not need to be separately itemized in this report. Disturbances from forest fires and pest outbreaks are implicitly included in the net changes. For instance, an inventory conducted after fire counts only...

Melting and non-isothermal crystallization behaviors, oxidative induction time, and fire performance of the injection-molded wood flour-high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites (WPCs) incorporated with different levels (4, 8, or 12 wt %) of boron compounds [borax/boric acid (BX/BA) (0.5:0.5 wt %), zinc borate (ZB)] and phosphorus compounds [mono- and di-ammonium phosphate] were investigated. The samples without the boron or phosphate had a HDPE content of 60%. The effect of the coupling agent loading (2, 4, or 6 wt %, maleic anhydride-grafted PE (MAPE)), on the above mentioned properties...

The general condition of the nation's bridges presents a complex management issue when considering cost, safety, and time. Consequently, the management of those bridges can become an overwhelming task. The need for a management system that is specific to rural systems may help to improve the management of this significant number of bridges. Although individual bridges are often different when compared at the "detail" level, bridges with similar construction, material, or behaviour may be able to be managed as a group rather than on an individual basis. The work described in this report...

Brown-rot fungi produce oxalate in large amounts; however, levels of accumulation and function vary by species. Copper-tolerant fungi, like Antrodia radiculosa, produce and accumulate high levels of oxalate in response to copper. Oxalate biosynthesis in copper-tolerant fungi has been linked to the glyoxylate and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycles. Within these two cycles, it has been proposed that oxalate production relies on twelve specific enzymes. In this study, Antrodia radiculosa isolates causing decay of untreated and 1.2% copper citrate treated wood were used to evaluate oxalate...

This paper covers general statistical concepts that apply to interpreting wood assay retention values. In particular, since wood assays are typically obtained from a single composited sample, the statistical aspects, including advantages and disadvantages, of simple compositing are covered.

Purified primary metabolites from essential oils were previously shown to be bioactive inhibitors of mold fungi on unleached Southern pine sapwood, either alone or in synergy with a second metabolite. This study evaluated the leachability of these compounds in Southern pine that was either dip- or vacuum-treated. Following laboratory leach tests, specimens were evaluated for inhibition of mold growth for 12 weeks and analyzed quantitatively by GC-MS for residual metabolite(s). With the exception of geraniol, vacuum treating the specimens generally provided longer protection than dip-treatin...