Effect of ACQ-D treatment on the surface free energy of Chinese fir (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cunninghamia lanceolata</Emphasis>)

In this study, the contact angles of three different reference liquids （including distilled water, diiodomethane, and formamide） and PF resin on the surfaces of Chinese fir （Cunningharnia lanceolata） samples untreated or treated with different concentrations of ACQ-D （ammoniacal copper quat Type D） solutions were measured. Then, the surface free energy was calculated by two approaches： acid-base approach and geometric mean approach. ACQ-D treatment caused higher contact angles and lower surface free energies at a retention level corresponding to the commodity treated wood products. When wood was treated with much higher concentrations of ACQ-D, the total surface free energy of wood would be higher than the untreated control. Acid-base/polar components related with the hydrogen bonding state in wood were considered to be responsible for the observed changes according to the applied approaches. The hydrophobic properties and also higher contact angles of PF resin drop on wood surfaces after ACQ-D treatment at a reasonable retention level confirms the changes on surface free energy.     

Influence of stress level on compression deformation of wood in 170°C transient steam conditions

Abstract

Compression creep experiments of hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides×Populus trichocarpa) were performed in a pressurized vessel equipped with a heated hydraulic press. The viscoelastic response at various stress levels (2–7 MPa), a temperature of 170°C and transient steam conditions was studied. Moisture content and oven-dry density of compressed specimens were determined. While some recovery of compression strain occurred, compression resulted in permanent deformation and increased wood density. The influence of stress level on the amount of set recovery of compressive deformation was evaluated after 24 h water soaking. Applied stress level had a significant effect on the compression deformation. The initial strain, as well as creep strain, varied depending on the applied stress level. The highest oven-dry density was obtained at a stress level of 6.9 MPa. Lower stress levels resulted in lower moisture content after the compression process, while the equilibrium moisture content of compressed specimens was not significantly affected by stress level. Set recovery increased from 20% to 65% with increased stress level from 1.7 MPa to 4.1 MPa, then decreased to 53% for specimens compressed at 6.9 MPa. Moisture content after the compression process significantly affected the set recovery.     

Laboratory evaluation of the termiticidal efficacy of copper HDO

A laboratory no-choice termite bioassay was conducted to evaluate the ability of copper HDO (CX-A or copper xyligen) to protect radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) wood samples from attack by two subterranean termite species, Reticulitermes speratus and Coptotermes formosanus. A series of sapwood samples were pressure treated with either 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, or 1.00% copper HDO solution. Samples treated with equivalent concentrations of a benchmark preservative, CCA-C, were used as treated controls. All samples (including controls) were subjected to an artificial weathering schedule before the bioassay. The samples were exposed to 30-day R. speratus tests and 3-week C. formosanus tests. Copper HDO was shown to deter termites from significant feeding on the treated wood. At a retention of 5.8 kg/m3 (treated with 0.75% solution) or higher, the mass loss from termite feeding did not exceed 3% for both the 30-day R. speratus tests and the 3-week C. formosanus tests. At each of the retentions tested, copper HDO performed comparably with equivalent retentions of CCA-C; however, field data are needed to validate these laboratory results. The preliminary findings are that copper HDO pressure treatment has potential as a viable method of protecting wood from attack by both termite species tested.     

Compression of wood under saturated steam, superheated steam, and transient conditions at 150°C, 160°C, and 170°C

In this paper, the compressive deformation of hybrid poplar wood (Populus deltoides?×?Populus trichocarpa) at high temperature (150, 160, and 170°C) and under various conditions of steam pressure was studied. Temperature and conditions of steam environment affected the relative density change and creep deformation during compression, as well as properties of the resulting densified material. While the temperature significantly affected the compression deformation of specimens compressed under transient and superheated steam conditions, temperature within the range studied had little effect on the compressive deformation in saturated steam. In all tested conditions, compression deformation was achieved without cell wall fractures. Higher temperature of compression, regardless of steam condition, resulted in lower equilibrium moisture content. In specimens compressed under saturated steam, the modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) were increased proportionally to the increase in density, while the compression under superheated steam produced lower increase in the MOE and MOR than expected based on the increase in density. Compression in transient steam conditions at 170°C produced densified wood with higher MOE and MOR than expected based on the increase in density.     

Effects of age-related increases in sapwood area,leaf area,and xylem conductivity on height-related hydraulic costs in two contrasting coniferous species

Introduction  

Knowledge of vertical variation in hydraulic parameters would improve our understanding of individual trunk functioning and likely have important implications for modeling water movement to the leaves. Specifically, understanding how foliage area (A _l), sapwood area (A _s), and hydraulic specific conductivity (k _s) vary with canopy position to affect leaf-specific conductivity (LSC) and whole-tree leaf-specific hydraulic conductance (K _l) may explain some of the contrasting patterns of A _l/A _s reported in the literature.     

The effect of compression and incision on wood veneer and plywood physical and mechanical properties

ABSTRACT

Drying takes the largest share of energy in plywood production, and varying moisture content of veneers necessitates re-drying that often leads to over-dry veneers with deactivated surfaces, which may promote imperfect bonding. In order to decrease the drying time, reduce the need for re-drying of veneers, and improve the quality of plywood, birch and spruce veneers were subjected to pre-treatment by cold compression, incision, or a combination of the two. The effects of pre-treatment on the veneer and plywood quality were assessed by standard tests. Compression had a beneficial effect on water removal of the wettest veneers (spruce sapwood (SW) and birch), but some thickness reduction was observed in the veneers as well as the finished birch plywood. Compression led to thickness reduction of spruce veneers, but had no effect on SW plywood thickness likely due to higher viscoelasticity. Both compression and the combination of incising and compression levelled the moisture variation within the compressed stacks. Incision improved the modulus of elasticity of birch plywood, shear strength of SW plywood, and both bending and shear strengths of heartwood plywood. Higher surface pressure decreased the drying time of spruce SW in both plain compression and combined incision and compression pre-treatment.     

Compressive deformation of phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin-impregnated wood related to the molecular weight of resin

The effects of molecular weight of PF resin on the deformation behaviour of NaClO₂ treated resin-impregnated wood during compression were investigated. Blocks of Japanese cedar were subjected to 2% NaClO₂ aqueous solution. This was repeated up to four times resulting in a weight loss of 28%. Treated and untreated samples were impregnated with PF resin having different molecular weight. With increasing molecular weight, weight gain and volume gain decreased for untreated PF resin-impregnated wood, while NaClO₂ treated wood impregnated with high molecular weight PF resin showed almost double the weight gain compared to untreated condition. NaClO₂ treatment has shown considerable potential for high compression of PF resin-impregnated wood at lower pressing pressure regardless of the molecular weight of the resin. Low to high molecular weight resin was shown to penetrate into NaClO₂ treated wood as estimated by weight gain contributing to the plasticization of cell wall considerably and thus resulting in cell wall collapse at low pressing pressure. The density of NaClO₂ treated wood impregnated with high molecular weight resin attained a value of over 0.8 g/cm³ which is close to the density of untreated wood impregnated with low molecular weight resin. Such compressed wood exhibited high dimensional stability after boiling for 3 h. Thus, the penetration of resin into wood contributes to highly compressed dimensional stable resin-impregnated wood at low pressing pressure.     

Plastic deformation in small clear pieces of Scots pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus sylvestris</Emphasis>) during densification with the CaLignum process

Specimens made of clear wood from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were compressed semi-isostatically at 25°C in a Quintus press. Pressure ranged from 0 to 140MPa and the maximum decrease in the crosscut area was about 60%. Quarter-sawn and plain-sawn specimens were densified with the inside face (pith side) up or down. A laser-made dot grid on the crosscut area of the uncompressed specimen was used to calculate plastic strains by image analysis of the displacement of dots after compression. Multivariate models were developed to determine the causes of deformation. The lower face was restrained by the press table and remained flat whereas sides attached to the rubber diaphragm became more irregularly shaped when compressed. Most of the total compression occurred below 50MPa and was determined exclusively by pressure. Above 50MPa, wood density was more important and compression was lower in the interior of specimens and in heartwood. Plastic compressive strain occurred predominately in the radial direction and toward the rigid press table. Strains were dependent on the sawing pattern and orientation. The growth rings of quarter-sawn specimens oriented with the outer face (bark side) down tended to buckle.     

Compressive deformation of wood impregnated with low molecular weight phenol formaldehyde (PF) resin III: effects of sodium chlorite treatment

To obtain high-strength phenol–formaldehyde (PF) resin-impregnated compressed wood at low pressing pressure, we investigated the effects of sodium chlorite (NaClO₂) treatment on wood prior to low molecular weight PF resin impregnation. Sawn veneers of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) were treated with 2% aqueous NaClO₂ solution at 45°C for 12 h to remove lignin, and the process was repeated up to four times, resulting in weight loss of 21%. NaClO₂ treatment has shown considerable potential for high compression of PF resin-impregnated wood at low pressing pressure, especially after adding moisture to a content of 10%–11%. This deformation is further enhanced during pressure holding by creep deformation. The density, Young’s modulus, and bending strength of PF resin-impregnated veneer laminated composites that were treated with NaClO₂ four times and compressed at 1 MPa, reached 1.15 g/cm³, 27 GPa, and 280 MPa, respectively. The values in untreated PF resin-impregnated wood reached 0.8 g/cm³, 16 GPa, and 165 MPa, respectively.     

Influence of accessory substances,wood density and interlocked grain on the compressive properties of hardwoods

Wood samples of nine tropical hardwoods from Peru and sugar maple wood from Quebec were selected to perform moisture sorption tests associated with parallel-to-grain and tangential compression tests using a multiple step procedure at 25°C. Cold-water and hot-water extractives, sequential cyclohexane (CYC), acetone (ACE) and methanol (MET) extracts, ash content (ASH), wood density and interlocked grain (IG) were evaluated on matched samples too. Wood density corrected for the accessory substances was by far the major factor positively affecting the compressive properties of tropical hardwoods. The total amount of accessory substances is required in order to establish better relationships between physico–mechanical properties and density of tropical hardwoods. For a given wood density, the ultimate stress in parallel-to-grain compression was higher in tropical hardwoods than in temperate hardwoods. However, the compliance coefficients for both types of woods were quite similar. Sequential extraction with organic solvents was the most suitable method for evaluating the effect of extractives on compressive properties of tropical hardwoods. The CYC and ACE fractions did not contribute to variation in these mechanical properties. The substances dissolved in MET affected positively the compliance coefficient s ₁₁ in parallel-to-grain compression and negatively the compliance coefficient s ₃₃ in tangential compression. The IG decreased the compliance coefficient s ₁₁ but also decreased the ultimate stress in parallel-to-grain compression. Finally, variations in compressive properties that were due to changes in equilibrium moisture content (EMC) were clearly influenced by wood density; denser woods were more sensitive to changes in EMC than lighter woods.     

Outdoor exposure of untreated Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] wood samples

Abstract

Untreated Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) samples were exposed above ground in a durability test for 6 years. The samples consisted of three pieces of wood, 22×95×500 mm, screwed together; two pieces lengthwise with a third piece overlapping. Weight was measured, to calculate moisture content (MC), and samples checked regularly for cracks and fungal growth. Parameters investigated were heartwood/sapwood (pine), annual ring orientation (spruce), stand site, annual ring width and density. Stand site, annual ring width and density had no influence on MC or fungal growth for either pine or spruce. Spruce samples with vertical annual rings had fewer cracks than samples with horizontal annual rings. Pine sapwood samples had a high MC and a large amount of rot fungi, while heartwood had a lower MC and no rot. Most spruce samples were similar to pine heartwood, except from a few samples that had high MC and fungal growth. Those were all sawn from the outer part of the log. Therefore, it can be stated that spruce sawn from the inner part has almost the same properties as pine heartwood, while spruce from the outer part of the log has similar properties to pine sapwood.     

Water removal of wet veneer by roller pressing

High moisture content, flat sawn Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) veneer was compressed using a roller press to mechanically remove water. The amount of water removed depended on the amount of compression applied. At 60% compression, 400kg/m³ of water was removed. The process was not dependent on the size of the wood, the degree of compression, or the feed speed of the specimen. After compression, the remaining water contents were evenly distributed throughout the veneer regardless of the length of the specimen. The specimens did not completely recover to original thickness. High compression ratio and low temperature intensified the reduction of thickness. The bending strength after compression decreased in an inversely proportional manner with the thickness of the specimen and the compression degree.Part of this study was presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kyoto, April 2000     

Characterization of strength properties of branchwood and stemwood of some tropical hardwood species

The mechanical strength properties of the branchwood of Aningeria robusta and Terminalia ivorensis with diameters ranging from 10 to 25 cm were examined to determine the suitability of branchwood as raw material for downstream processing. The study precisely assessed the static bending strengths, compression strengths and shear strengths parallel to the grain of the branchwood and stemwood of T. ivorensis and A. robusta. It was observed that under static bending, the overall (sapwood and heartwood combined) modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity of the branchwood of A. robusta and T. ivorensis were lower than that of their corresponding stemwood. The results further show that the overall compression and shear strengths parallel to the grain of the branchwood of A. robusta and T. ivorensis were higher than that of their corresponding stemwood. Under static bending, compression parallel to the grain, and shear parallel to the grain, the experimental results indicate that the sapwood of the branchwood from both T. ivorensis and A. robusta had lower strength values than that of their corresponding heartwood. Similar results were recorded for the stemwood of T. ivorensis where the heartwood had higher strength values than the sapwood. However, in the case of the stemwood of A. robusta, the sapwood had higher strength values than the corresponding heartwood.     

Extending sapwood — Leaf area relationships from stems to roots in Coast Douglas-fir

? Studies of allometric relationships between leaf area and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of sapwood in the stem have shed light on the structural and functional relationships between water-conducting and photosynthetic tissues.

? The purpose of this study was to test whether sapwood-leaf area relationships could be extended from stems to roots in coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirb.) Franco). Twelve trees were felled, their stumps were excavated, and the CSA of sapwood and heartwood were estimated for individual roots, entire root systems, and stem section.

? Root sapwood CSA was greater than sapwood CSA throughout the stem, and the ratio of leaf area to sapwood CSA (A _l :A _s ) was accordingly lower for root sapwood. The relationship between sapwood CSA and leaf area was more variable in roots and at groundline compared to crown base. Root A _l :A _s decreased with relative tree height (tree height/mean stand height).

? The strong allometric relationship between leaf area and the CSA of sapwood in the stem generally holds when extended to roots. The greater CSA of sapwood in roots versus stems may reflect differences in their roles in supporting the tree.

     

Effects of preheating temperatures on the formation of sandwich compression and density distribution in the compressed wood

Sandwich compression of wood that can control the density and position of compressed layer(s) in the compressed wood provides a promising pathway for full valorization of low-density plantation wood. This study aims at investigating the effects of preheating temperatures (60–210 °C) on sandwich compression of wood, with respect to density distribution, position and thickness of the compressed layer(s). Poplar (Populus tomentosa) lumbers with moisture content below 10.0% were first soaked in water for 2 h and stored in a sealed plastic bag for 18 h, the surface-wetted lumbers were preheated on hot plates at 60–210 °C and further compressed from 25 to 20 cm under 6.0 MPa at the same temperature on the radial direction. The compressed lumbers were characterized in terms of density distribution, position and thickness of compressed layer(s). It was found that depending on preheating temperatures, sandwich compressed wood with three structural modes, namely, surface compressed wood, internal compressed wood and central compressed wood can be formed. Density of the compressed layer(s) in wood increased gradually as a result of the elevated preheating temperatures. Higher preheating temperatures gave rise to bigger distance between compressed layer(s) and the surface, and preheating temperature elevation from 90 to 120 °C contributed to a maximal distance increase of 2.71 mm. In addition, higher preheating temperatures resulted in bigger thickness of compressed layer(s) over 60–150 °C and temperature elevation from 120 to 150 °C lead to the layers integration from two into one. Further temperature elevation over 150 °C reduced the thickness of the compressed layer in wood. SEM scanning suggested that cell wall bucking rather than cell wall crack occurred in compressed layer(s) and transition layer(s).     

Properties of red maple laminated veneer lumber impregnated with waterborne micronized and two soluble copper formulations

ABSTRACT

Certain important quality parameters of red maple (Acer rubrum) laminated veneer lumber (LVL) impregnated with three waterborne formulations: copper azole (CA-B), micronized copper azole (MicroCA or MCA) and alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ-D) bonded with phenol formaldehyde or cross-linked polyvinyl acetate (XPVAc) adhesives were evaluated. Pre-dipping of veneers before LVL production and two post-manufacturing procedures, viz., vacuum-pressure and post-dipping of LVL, were applied. Maximum copper retention in pre-dip-treated, vacuum-pressure and post-dip-treated LVL was 1.4, 9.7 and 1.7?kg/m³, respectively. Copper retention in MCA-treated LVL was relatively lower than soluble formulations. Various physical, mechanical and bonding properties of treated LVL such as density, water absorption, swelling, flexural properties, hardness, tensile shear strength, delamination and wood failure (%) were studied and compared with untreated LVL. Little to negligible deleterious effect was observed on properties of LVL due to these chemical treatments. Analysis of variance results showed that most of properties of red maple LVL were not significantly different compared with those of untreated LVL. Therefore, vacuum-pressure impregnation process can be used to treat the red maple LVL with novel micronized copper formulations for increasing the service life of such products against biodegradation without affecting techno-mechanical quality parameters.     

Genetic control of wood density and bark thickness,and their correlations with diameter,in pure and hybrid populations of Eucalyptus grandis and E. urophylla in South Africa

Tree diameter under and over bark at breast height (dbh), wood density and bark thickness were assessed on samples from control-pollinated families of Eucalyptus grandis, E. urophylla, E. grandis × E. urophylla and E. urophylla × E. grandis. The material was planted in field trials in the coastal Zululand region of South Africa. At 75 months, between three and seven of the best trees per family were felled and wood samples collected. Genetic parameters for wood density, bark thickness and bark percentage (ratio of double bark thickness to overbark diameter) and the inter-trait correlations for the different species and hybrids were calculated. Genetic parameter estimates for wood density, bark thickness and bark percentage in the E. urophylla × E. grandis hybrids showed these traits to be under total additive genetic control. This was confirmed by the intermediate hybrid means for these traits relative to those of the parental species. There was a very low correlation between dbh and wood density for the E. urophylla × E. grandis hybrids (r_G = –0.07 and r_P = 0.064). Amongst the E. urophylla families there was a moderate positive and significant phenotypic correlation between wood density and bark thickness (r_P = 0.391), and between wood density and bark percentage (r_P = 0.442).     

Effect of ACQ-D Treatment on the Surface Free Energy of Chinese Fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata)

In this study, the contact angles of three different reference liquids (including distilled water, diiodomethane, and formamide) and PF resin on the surfaces of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) samples untreated or treated with different con- centrations of ACQ-D (ammoniacal copper quat Type D) solutions were measured. Then, the surface free energy was calculated by two approaches: acid-base approach and geometric mean approach. ACQ-D treatment caused higher contact angles and lower surface free energies at a retention level corresponding to the commodity treated wood products. When wood was treated with much higher concentrations of ACQ-D, the total surface free energy of wood would be higher than the untreated control. Acid-base/polar compo- nents related with the hydrogen bonding state in wood were considered to be responsible for the observed changes according to the applied approaches. The hydrophobic properties and also higher contact angles of PF resin drop on wood surfaces after ACQ-D treatment at a reasonable retention level confirms the changes on surface free energy.     

Carbon Isotope Discrimination, Gas Exchange and Stem Growth of Four Euramerican Hybrid Poplars under Different Watering Regimes

Seasonal changes in carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) and gas exchange traits were assessed in four Populus×euramericana clones differing in growth potential. Measurements were made during the second year after establishment in the field under two watering regimes, which were defined by the time-span between flood irrigations, hence resulting in different dry-down cycles: high irrigation (conservative schedule currently applied in the Ebro Valley, Spain) and low irrigation (equivalent to about a one-fourth reduction in water inputs). Net CO₂ assimilation rate (A), stomatal conductance (g_s), intrinsic water-use efficiency (A/g_s) and other related photosynthetic traits (leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf greenness and leaf mass per area) were measured prior to watering, and Δ was analysed in water-soluble leaf extracts (Δ_s) and bulk leaves (Δ_l). Stem growth was monitored over 3 years starting at the year of establishment (1998). Data were subjected to a repeated measures ANOVA over time for a randomised block split-plot design across watering regimes. Significant differences between watering regimes were detected using a long-term estimate of photosynthetic performance such as Δ_l, in agreement with changes in soil water status and evapotranspirative demand. However, the lack of significant genotype×watering regime interactions for gas exchange traits and Δ_s suggested that water shortage imposed by low irrigation was not sufficient to reveal physiological adaptations to drought. In this regard, the reduction in water inputs brought about by low irrigation did not reduce tree growth for any of the clones, suggesting that the current irrigation scheme employed in the region is superfluous to the water consumption needs of poplars. Genotypic variation was detected in gas exchange traits, Δ_s, Δ_l and stem growth under both watering treatments. Significant correlations with stem volume for Δ_s (r = −0.60, p<0.05) and A (r = + 0.61, p<0.05) suggested that growth was improved by higher water-use efficiency (the ratio of carbon fixed to water lost, as inferred by Δ_s) due to variation in A rather than in g_s. This observation corroborated the expectation derived from current theories that a lower Δ is related to higher stem volume, as a result of changes in net CO₂ assimilation rates.     

Antioxidant activity of extracts from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Calocedrus formosana</Emphasis> leaf,bark, and heartwood

Calocedrus formosana Florin (Cupressaceae) is an endemic tree to Taiwan. To evaluate the antioxidant activity of the plant extracts from heartwood, bark, and leaf of C. formosana, assays for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and superoxide anion scavenging activities, as well as prevention of DNA strand cleavage were performed in this study. Similar IC₅₀ values against the DPPH radical were found for the heartwood and bark extracts at approximately 23µg/ml. Moreover, the heartwood extract exhibited the highest inhibitory activity against superoxide radicals among the test samples; a 2.3-fold lower value of IC₅₀ for superoxide radical inhibition was found in the heartwood extract relative to that of (+)-catechin. Much less effect on inhibition of DPPH and superoxide radicals was found from the leaf extract of C. formosana. More than 70% of superoxide radicals were inhibited in the presence of 10µg/ml heartwood extract, whereas only 15% inhibition was obtained from the leaf extract. The heartwood extract, at a dose of approximately 0.5mg/ml, apparently completely prevented the X174 supercoiled DNA cleavage induced by ultraviolet photolysis of H₂O₂, as judged by agarose gel electrophoresis. This report also suggests that the antioxidant activities of the plant extracts of C. formosana are in good correlation with their phenolic contents.