Treesearch

Secondary plant cell walls are composed of carbohydrate and lignin polymers, and collectively represent a significant renewable resource. Leveraging these resources depends in part on a mechanistic understanding for diffusive processes within plant cell walls. Common wood protection treatments and biomass conversion processes to create biorefinery feedstocks feature ion or solvent diffusion within the cell wall. X-ray fluorescence microscopy experiments have determined that ionic diffusion rates are dependent on cell wall hydration as well as the ionic species through non-linear relationshi...

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether isothermal microcalorimetry can be used to determine the corrosion rates of metals embedded in wood. Metal fasteners were driven into dowels of wood treated with alkaline copper quaternary, a common wood preservative that increases the corrosiveness of wood. The dowels were stored in a nearly 100% relative humidity environment at 27°C for one year; throughout the exposure period, dowels were removed and the thermal power generated by the sample was measured in an isothermal calorimeter. Measurements over the 1-year exposure showed that the...

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) were produced from bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp using microfluidization varying the number of passes through the microfluidizer. CNFs were processed into dry films to elucidate the effect of CNFs morphology on the physical, optical and barrier properties of the films. As the number of passes through the microfluidizer increased, the fibril diameter and degree of polymerization decreased. A higher number of passes produced CNFs with smaller diameter resulting in CNF films with smaller root mean surface (RMS) roughness, higher tensile strength and Young’s...

Is our logger population aging? What trends are we seeing in logging equipment? What business environment are loggers experiencing? What impact did the pandemic have on loggers? These are some of the questions we asked in the 2022 Loggers Survey. The results that we discuss come from loggers in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We asked our questions based on what they experienced during the previous year – 2021.

Plant cell walls represent the most abundant pool of organic carbon in terrestrial ecosystems but are highly recalcitrant to utilization by microbes and herbivores owing to the physical and chemical barrier provided by lignin biopolymers. Termites are a paradigmatic example of an organism’s having evolved the ability to substantially degrade lignified woody plants, yet atomic-scale characterization of lignin depolymerization by termites remains elusive. We report that the phylogenetically derived termite Nasutitermes sp. efficiently degrades lignin via substantial depletion of major...

When people think about paper production in Wisconsin, they normally think about one of our large pulp and paper mills. Pulp and paper mills use vast quantities of pulpwood from Wisconsin’s forests to produce a variety of bulk paper products. Without a doubt, these mills play a crucial role in managing our forests by providing markets for pulpwood from our forests and chip residues from Wisconsin sawmills.

In the present work, the residual biomass of the green seaweed Ulva lactuca was chosen as feedstock to undergo separate hydrolysis and fermentation process to produce bioethanol. The hydrolysis process was optimized for cellulase, biomass, temperature, and time conditions. The maximum yield of fermentable sugars was 13.48 mg/mL. The recovered hydrolysate was subjected to fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The bioethanol produced was subjected to gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry analysis to determine the presence of ethanol. The technical performance and economic...

Timber bridges play a critical role at local, state, and national levels. They provide rapid and cost-effective transportation solutions. To that end, this bulletin addresses the benefits of constructing bridges with timber, including low carbon footprint, short construction time, environmentally benign aesthetics, high strength-to-weight ratio, off-site fabrication, extended service life, long spans, and favorable economics. Methods for improving timber bridge durability and protection are critical aspects of this bulletin. Physical, chemical, and design-based protection strategies...

In this present study, the production of poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) from food waste was investigated and critical factors were evaluated. The economic feasibility of the process was investigated, as well as the minimum selling price (MSP) of PBS and sensitivity analysis of economic factors based on critical input parameters. 1,4-butanediol price and solvent usage in PBS purification significantly impacted economics during the process. In this process, the MSP of PBS was 3.5 $/kg. The Monte Carlo simulation technique was used to determine the uncertainty in the MSP of PBS. The plant’s...

The consumption of energy levels has increased in association with economic growth and concurrently increased the energy demand from renewable sources. The need under Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) intends to explore various technological advancements for the utilization of waste to energy. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) has been reported as constructive feedstock to produce biofuels, biofuel carriers and biochemicals using energy-efficient technologies in risk freeways. The present review contemplates risk assessment and challenges in sorting and transportation of MSW and different...