Treesearch

The dewatering of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) suspensions is important in several processes such as concentrating the material before transportation, producing dry CNFs for composite structures, and applying the material to the surface of a paper web. Dewatering of a CNF suspension onto paper is one possible way to form a CNF layer on paper to produce excellent grease and oil-resistant packaging materials. Even though this property of the CNF suspension is important, little work has been reported in the literature to model and characterize this process. Refiner produced CNF suspensions were...

Interest in biobased adhesives has led to many studies on protein adhesives. Unfortunately, many assume that denatured proteins adopt a permanently extended shape. Neither the properties of the applied soy protein dispersion, properties of the cured adhesive, nor the general protein literature are consistent with proteins being very unfolded or extended. In the presence of water, a compact state (hydrocolloid) is more favorable since it minimizes the number of exposed hydrophobic groups. Each protein chain minimizes contact with water by burying most hydrophobic domains, which is achieved...

Agronomic benefits of applying biochar into soils, as a sustainable and environment-friendly soil amendment approach, have been well-documented for decades, known for improving soil water and nutrient retention capacity followed by better crop production. Still, research on the effects of certain locally sourced biochar waste and combined use with fertilizer and compost on agricultural lands with sandy soils is rather limited. Therefore, our study attempted to explore the effects of locally produced biochar waste amended with compost and fertilizer on the water retention, pH, and nutrients...

The International Digital Image Correlation Society (iDICs) was founded in 2015 as a nonprofit scientific and educational organization committed to training and educating users of digital image correlation (DIC) systems. iDICs is composed of members from academia, government, and industry, and develops world-recognized DIC training and certifications to improve industry practice of DIC for general applications, with emphasis on both research and establishing standards for DIC measurement techniques. More information can be found at www.idics.org.To support this mission, the iDICs Standardiz...

Wood, a renewable and eco-friendly resource, holds significant potential for developing sustainable structural materials. Nevertheless, in advanced engineering applications, natural wood often fails to meet requirements for mechanical performance and flame retardancy. Herein, we present a novel, simple yet highly effective strategy to fabricate tough flame-retardant wood (TF-wood). This approach involves partial delignification using alcohol-amine-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs), followed by N/P-functionalization of the dissolved lignin that is reincorporated into the wood matrix with...

In this study, unidirectional E-glass and S2-glass fabrics are coated with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), and the influence of the coating on the glass fiber (GF)-epoxy matrix interfacial properties and GF fabric-epoxy laminate tensile properties are investigated. The methodology and processing conditions for vacuum-assisted slot die coating of CNC dispersions onto GF fabrics are described. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and single fiber fragmentation test (SFFT) results determined that the addition of vacuum assist was crucial to producing uniform CNC coatings, preserving good fiber...

This study explores how biochar with different physicochemical properties affects its performance in cementitious composites and therefore can help to formulate carbon-negative cementitious composites. Eight types of biochar were produced using three methods: (I) air exposure for varying durations, (II) adding K2SiO3 during pyrolysis and exposing to air for different durations, and (III) incorporating NaOH at different dosages during pyrolysis. These functionalized biochar samples were added at 30% by weight of the binder, containing slag cement and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Biochar...

Airborne microbes such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi are a major cause of respiratory ailments, including allergies and pathogenic infections. Despite advances in modern healthcare and public health measures, preventing the transmission of airborne microbes is still very challenging. The microbes may stay alive for a while after landing on a face mask, giving them the chance to infect another individual. In face masks, the laminated materials are primarily made of nonrenewable polystyrene, polyethylene, polycarbonate, or polyester fibers and are even coated with polytetrafluoroethylene...

Before new termiticides can be marketed, sold or applied in the United States, they must be registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Part of this registration process is the collection of efficacy data indicating the product prevents termite movement past treated soil — that the product provides a “barrier.” EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPTS) is the registration body that handles candidate termiticides.Based on methods developed in the late 1930s and 1960s, the guidelines for these efficacy trials are codified in OPPTS 810.3600. Data that are...

A more systematic, multiscale characterization of the mechanical properties of lignocellulosic materials, such as wood and bamboo, is needed so that manufacturers can better tailor their properties for specific end-uses. Nanoindentation was used to assess the mesoscale elastic modulus ( ESN I ) and Meyer’s hardness ( H ) of secondary cell wall layers (SCWL) in Moso bamboo, and S2 SCWL and compound corner middle lamella (CCML) in loblolly pine. The anisotropic SCWL was tested in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The effects of moisture content (MC) were studied by testing...