Treesearch

Corynocarpaceae group closely with Coriariaceae and Cucurbitaceae by axial parenchyma types (vasicentric scanty plus apotracheal banded plus ray- adjacent, all in strands of 1-2 cells) and Homogeneous Type II rays. Begoniaceae, Datiscaceae s. s., and Tetramelaceae group on the basis of absence of banded axial parenchyma and subdivision of the vasicentric parenchyma into strands of 3-5 cells. All of the families of Cucurbitales (except Anisophylleaceae) have two unusual features: minimal borders on perforation plates and unusually wide multiseriate rays (not accompanied by uniseriate rays)....

Although natural fiber reinforced commodity thermoplastics have a wide range of nonstructural applications in the automotive and decking industries, there have been few reports of cellulosic fiber-reinforced engineering thermoplastics. The commonly held belief has been that the only thermoplastics amenable to natural-fibre reinforcement are limited to low-melting (below 180°C) commodity thermoplastics like polyethylene and polypropylene. However, in three recent papers we have shown that the high-melting engineering plastics, nylon-6 and nylon 66 can indeed be reinforced with cellulosic...

In the mid-1990s, researchers at the Forest Products Laboratory developed a coupling agent, hydroxymethylated resorcinol (HMR), that has the ability to enhance adhesive bonds between wood and nontraditional adhesives (Vick and others 1995, 1996). HMR is also effective in promoting durable bonding of phenol-resorcinol- formaldehyde (PRF) adhesives to CCA-treated Southern Pine (Vick 1995). This presentation reviews progress in development of HMR for use with nontraditional adhesives and for treated wood.

The technology currently exists to manufacture natural fiber thermoplastic composites from recycled materials. Development of commodity-building products from these composites would open up huge markets for waste-based materials in the US. To date, the construction industry has only accepted wood thermoplastic composite lumber (and only for limited applications). In little more than a decade, the use of composite decking has grown to about 4% of the exterior decking market. Even larger markets within the building industry could be developed, such as the roofing market. However, a lack of...

Hybrid poplars are fast-growing, moisture-loving, full-sun-loving large trees that can be a rapid source of wood fiber. With the introduction of waferboard, oriented strandboard (OSB), and laminated strand lumber (LSL), aspen utilization has dramatically increased. Indigenous and hybrid poplars, however, present their own challenges, such as high discoloration potential, difficulty in drying, and high tension wood content. Further research is needed for improved selection of clones to ensure that desirable physical and mechanical qualities of poplar wood are produced for the anticipated...

Antrodia aurantia Lodge, Ryvarden & Perdomo-Sanchez is described as new. It has bright orange resupinate basidiomes that lack rhizomorphs and has pores that are deep, soft, large, and angular to sinuous; it is associated with a brown rot on Pinus occidentalis. A key to all American Antrodia and Diplomitoporus species is provided.

Lyophilization is an excellent technique for the long-term preservation of hyphal-forming brown-and white-rot wood-inhabiting basidiomycotina. However, vegetative mycelial isolates are not lyophilizable. In this study, 10 brown-rot and 10 white-rot basidiomycetous non-sporulating, non-chlamydosporulating, and non-bubillerferous basidiomycetes fungi were tested for viability after lyophilization. Optimization of the lyophilization involved (i) using mycelium agar plugs and mycelial fragments, (ii) improving physiological growth conditions, age of cultures, and growth medium components,...

A polyoxometalate-catalyzed electrochemical process has shown good selectivity in delignifying pulp. This breakthrough in redox catalysis shows promise for the development of a new environmentally benign technology for pulp bleaching. The electrochemical process, applied with a mildly alkaline electrolyte solution containing trace amounts of a vanadium-based polyoxometalate, K5[SiVW11O40], decreased the kappa number of a softwood Kraft pulp by about 40% without significant change in the viscosity of the pulp. In a similar electrochemical process, a softwood semi-bleached Kraft pulp was...

In this era of performance-based building codes, there is an increased need for models and data pertaining to the fire safety of building materials. In addition to data for the prescriptive regulatory fire tests, material property data are needed to optimize the advantages of the performance-based building codes that are being introduced worldwide. In this review of our research on the fire performance characteristics and fire safety engineering of wood products, we will present results on the fire performance of hardwood species. Two broad areas of fire safety engineering of materials are...

Because more homes are being built in the forests and other wildlands, the safety of these homes during forest fires has become a major issue. Although not noted for loss of life, fires in the wildland/urban interface (WUI) are responsible for extremely large property losses. Approaches to this problem include improved management of the forests to reduce fuel loadings, improved fire service response, improved community design, and improved home designs. Unlike the normal house fire, the forest fire represents an exterior fire exposure. As such, the components of a home that can immediately...