The chemistry of decayed aspen wood and perspectives on its utilization

Summary The objectives of this research were to investigate the proportion of decayed wood in mature aspen stems, its chemical composition and its potential utility as a fuel or as a substrate for conversion to fine chemicals as part of an integrated utilization scheme. Three sound and ten decayed aspen stems were sampled from a boreal forest site. Stem analysis indicate that on average, 20% of the merchantable stem volume was in advanced decay and that considerable sound wood recovery was possible. Wood specific gravity and chemical composition were determined. The holocellulose content (volumetric basis) in advanced decayed wood was reduced by 67%. Thermal analysis of the wood using a differential scanning calorimeter provided graphical evidence of a different sequence of events occurring during the combustion of decayed wood and a resulting heat content per unit weight that was 40% higher than that of sound aspen wood. A higher degree of enzymatic hydrolysis was attainable with white-rotted aspen wood. Approximately 62% of the theoretical glucose yield was obtained from decayed aspen wood after alkali-peroxide pretreatment followed by a 12 hour hydrolysis using technical grade enzymes. The above information is used to elucidate future opportunities for wood recovery and energy production from decayed wood resources.The authors would like to thank the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Kirkland Lake for their cooperation; and for the technical assistance by Sally Krigstin, John Leigh, Samir Konar, Ganesh Deka and Doug Charles. We would also like to thank Dr. Morris Wayman, University of Toronto, for his advice and inspiration. We are especially grateful to the following persons and companies for supplying us with enzymes and their associated technical literature: Mr. John Bayard of Van Waters & Rogers Ltee, Canada, representing NOVO Industri, Denmark; Mr. Ian Hodge representing the Miles Biotechnology Group, Canada; and Dr. Gunther Eckert, B.A.S.F., Germany for obtaining and forwarding the products and information of Rohm GmbH, Germany. This work has been partially funded by the Edward Johnson Fellowship, University of Toronto     

Hydrothermal and organosolv pretreatments of poplar wood and wheat straw for saccharification by a Trichoderma viride cellulase

Summary Two types of processes have been applied for the pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials in order to render them easily degradable by the cellulase of Trichoderma viride. They were compared at different temperatures, with regard both to the residual dry mass and the improvement in accessibility to the enzyme complex. The latter was measured in terms of glucose liberated, which was quantified by HPLC. Hydrothermolysis proved more effective than the organosolv process for the pretreatment of wheat straw, and vice versa for poplar wood. In terms of the percentage of glucan enzymatically converted to glucose, yields up to 90% could be achieved.One of the authors (H.H.) would like to thank the Austrian Research Center Seibersdorf for granting a bursary. We are also grateful to Mr. Josef Huber for his kind assistance in preparing the three-dimensional plot     

Inter-tree and intra-tree variation in the physical properties of wood of laurel (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Laurus nobilis</Emphasis>)

The laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) is a common species in southern Europe, but the properties of its wood are not well described in the literature and from that perspective any novel information is valuable. Because of that, a group of laurels was felled for the analysis of wood properties on small defect-free specimens (17 trees and 1250 valid specimens). The sampled wood was moderately heavy and unstable. The following mean values were obtained (density at 12% moisture content 699 kg m^?3; basic density 566 kg m^?3; total volumetric shrinkage 18.0%; volumetric shrinkage coefficient 0.59%). Highly significant inter-tree and intra-tree variation was observed for most of the properties considered. The inter-tree variation was attributed to tree dimensions, being remarkable that volumetric, radial and tangential shrinkage coefficients were significantly related to breast height diameter and slenderness. The trends of these variables suggest that in trees older than those used in the study (24–41 years old) the dimensional stability would increase. As regards the inter-tree variation, a low but highly significant decrease was found for density at highest positions in the tree. Volumetric and linear shrinkage diminish very significantly along the stem. Due to the uniformity of density and the increment of wood dimensional stability along the trunk, the harvesting of the full stem is advisable.     

13C CP/MAS nuclear magnetic resonance study of the peroxide bleaching of ultra high yield chemimechanical pulp produced from sound and spruce budworm killed balsam fir

Summary The chemimechanical pulping (CMP) of sound balsam fir and the subsequent peroxide bleaching of the CMP pulp were investigated using solid state ¹³C CP/MAS NMR. A parallel study was made of a CMP pulp produced from spruce budworm killed balsam fir. Changes in the lignin and hemicellulose components were readily evident. The residual lignin and carbohydrate macromolecules in dead balsam fir CMP appeared to be the same as those in the sound wood CMP, before and after bleaching.We are indebted to Mr. S. S. Johal and Dr. J. V. Hatton of PAPRICAN, Vancouver, B.C., for generously supplying the wood and pulp samples. We also appreciate the assistance of Dr. N. R. Jagannathan with the ¹³C CP/MAS NMR measurements. Financial support from NSERC, in the form of a Postdoctoral Fellowship (JMW) and operating grants (FGH), is gratefully acknowledged     

Bulk delignification kinetics at selected vertical heights within jack pine plus trees

Summary Pulping kinetics of extractive-free wood from jack pine trees sampled from the Fort Frances, the Atikokan and the Thunder Bay districts of Ontario, Canada, were investigated. Wood samples were cooked at three different temperatures: 140 °C, 155°C and 170 °C with a white liquor concentration of 32 g/L sodium hydroxide and 10.4 g/L sodium sulphide (25% sulphidity). The results indicated that the average activation energy for pulping of trees from the Fort Frances, the Atikokan and the Thunder Bay districts were 91.0, 81.0 and 81.4 kJ/mol, respectively. The differences of activation energy for pulping between sapwood and heartwood were insignificant. Activation energy for pulping of wood increased from top to bottom of the tree.Sincere appreciation is extended to Dr. George Buchert, Scientific Authority, for his valuable suggestions and help during the progress of the work. Appreciation is also extended Mr. Harvey Anderson, Mr. Jim Rice and Mr. Ernie Chen of OMNR, Maple, for use of their laboratory equipment and helpful and constructive criticism at various stages of this project. We also wish to thank to Mr. Douglas Charles, Mr. Ian Kennedy and Mr. John McCarron for assistance in tree sampling, wood grinding and equipment set-up. We acknowledge the help of Mr. Maximo LaBarrera and other people who were funded by UIC and EYC training programs. We appreciate the funding provided by the Canadian Ontario Forest Research Development Agreement (COFRDA) authorities for completion of this project.     

Rapid prediction of shrinkage and fibre saturation point on teak (Tectona grandis) wood based on near-infrared spectroscopy

? Dimensional stability, along with the natural durability and colour of the wood, is one of the most important characteristics of teak used as timber. However, it is very time-consuming to take measurements of this kind. For the purposes of selection for the production of improved varieties, the number of samples to be measured rapidly exceeds the capacity of a traditional laboratory.

? Near-infrared spectroscopy, based on a set of reference data, is a tool enabling many of the chemical properties of wood to be predicted and the number of laboratory measurements to be reduced exponentially. The issue here is a question of checking the effectiveness of NIRS tool to build models and predict the shrinkage and fibre saturation point of teak wood from Togo.

? The results show the possible use of NIRS to measure the dimensional stability of teak wood and that it is appropriate to choose the type of wood and type of surface to be measured by NIRS. The best prediction models for radial and tangential shrinkage and fibre saturation point give R ² values of 0.72, 0.83 and 0.87 respectively with ratios of performance deviation of 1.8, 2.4 and 2.8.

? Consequently, after verification on other sets of teak samples, which may or may not be included in the prediction model, NIRS can be used to predict shrinkage and fibre saturation point values accurately for a large number of samples, making it possible to include these characteristics in the selection criteria for classifying wood and high throughput phenotyping.

     

12种实木地板尺寸稳定性初探

文章对12种常用实木地板的尺寸稳定性进行研究,结果表明,柚木的尺寸稳定性最好,收缩率为0.33%,膨胀率为0.1%;水曲柳、桦木、纤皮玉蕊尺寸稳定性较差,收缩率均大于2.24%,膨胀率均大于0.35%;其余的8种地板稳定性相差不大,收缩率为1.09%～1.71%,膨胀率为0.16%～0.23%。成品实木地板尺寸变化较小且缓慢,在使用时做好水分处理就可以避免其严重变形。     

Prediction of wood stiffness, strength, and shrinkage in juvenile wood of radiata pine

Development of optimal ways to predict juvenile wood stiffness, strength, and stability using wood properties that can be measured with relative ease and low cost is a priority for tree breeding and silviculture. Wood static modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), radial, tangential, and longitudinal shrinkage (RS, TS, LS), wood density (DEN), sound wave velocity (SWV), spiral grain (SLG), and microfibril angle (MFA) were measured on juvenile wood samples from lower stem sections in two radiata pine test plantations. Variation between inner (rings 1–2 from pith) and outer (rings 3–6 from pith) rings was generally larger than that among trees. MOE and MOR were lower (50%) in inner-rings than in outer-rings. RS and TS were higher (30–50%) for outer-rings than inner-rings, but LS decreased rapidly (>200%) from inner-rings to outer-rings. DEN had a higher correlation with MOR than with MOE, while MFA had a higher correlation with dry wood MOE than with MOR. SLG had higher significant correlation with MOE than with MOR. DEN and MOE had a weak, significant linear relationship with RS and TS, while MOE had a strong negative non-linear relationship with LS. Multiple regressions had a good potential as a method for predicting billet stiffness (R ² > 0.42), but had only a weak potential to predict wood strength and shrinkage (R ² < 0.22). For wood stiffness acoustic velocity measurements seemed to be the most practical, and for wood strength and stability acoustic velocity plus core density seemed to be the most practical measurements for predicting lower stem average in young trees.     

Towards defining a wood quality index for the eucalypts: the R-ratio

Summary The derivation of a value termed the R-ratio (the change in external wood volume during shrinkage or swelling per change in the weight of the associated volume of water) and its possible use as an indicator of dimensional stability (Chafe 1986, 1987), has led to its consideration as a potential wood quality index for the eucalypts. An analysis of R with respect to mechanical strength, durability, volumetric shrinkage, collapse and density in 38 species of eucalypts has shown a high degree of correlation and suggests that R could provide a single overall indication of timber quality.While density was more highly correlated with strength and durability than R, the R-ratio was more highly correlated with shrinkage. Also, when predictor criteria (strength, durability, shrinkage, density) were mutually adjusted in multiple regression analysis, R remained significantly correlated with each. When density was similarly regressed against shrinkage, durability and strength, the relationship was not significant for shrinkage.The observed high correlation between durability and density suggests that mass of wood substance is an important criterion in defining resistance to wood decay.The author wishes to thank Dr. W. E. Hillis, Mr. W. G. Keating, Mr. J. Ilic and Mr. E. P. Lhuede for kindly assigning wood quality rankings to the 38 species of Eucalyptus discussed herein     

Physical properties of two tropical wood species from Mozambique

Abstract

The aim of this study was to reveal some important physical properties of two lesser used wood species from Mozambique. Density of wood, green moisture content (MC), shrinkage, swelling, sorption–desorption behaviour and quantitative colour analyses were carried out to facilitate the potential use of Icuria dunensis (ncurri) and Pseudolachnostylis maprounaefolia (ntholo). The study found that the average densities at 12% MC were 907.1 kg m^?3 for ncurri and 1023.4 kg m^?3 for ntholo. The average values of green MC were 31.4% for ncurri and 39.2% for ntholo. Ncurri and ntholo wood showed low coefficients of anisotropy for heartwood, 1.3 and 1.4, respectively. The colour measurements described the patterns of radial and longitudinal variations in wood colour. In conclusion, ntholo and ncurri are characterized by high density and dimensional stability. Ntholo can be used where small dimensional changes are required, e.g. in joinery, flooring and furniture.     

Can wood density be efficiently selected at early stage in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.)?

Growth and stem straightness are the two main selection criteria in the French maritime pine breeding programme. In this contribution, our objective was to study the possibility of selecting for wood density assessed at an early stage. We measured X-ray wood density, in three progeny tests, on more than 1 900 breast high increment cores. High relative expected genetic gain (from 3 to 9%) was found for wood density at mature stage. Juvenile and adult wood density estimations were well-correlated; the relative efficiency of early selection reached about 80% at 12 years old. As it would not be realistic to use the X-ray densitometer at an operational scale in a breeding programme, we tested the efficiency of using the Resistograph, an indirect method to assess wood density on live trees. High correlation between the Resistograph and density data (R ² = 0.93 on familial data) was found, suggesting that wood density through Resistograph assessment could be soon integrated as a new selection criterion in our breeding programme.     

长岭岗林场日本落叶松幼龄材干缩性能研究

测定了建始县长岭岗林场引种栽培的12年生日本落叶松标准木干缩性能指标，并分析了来自两个样地的20株样木株同差异，其结果表明：干缩性能指标问差异不显著；径向全干干缩率为4．64，弦向全干干缩率为6．81，体积全干干缩率为10．81。全干差畀干缩为1．47；径向气干干缩率为2．41，弦向气干干缩率为3．93，体积气干干缩率为6．59，气干差异干缩为1．63。在此基础上，讨论了日本落叶松的栽培与木材利用中的有关问题和新旧标准下测定的干缩性能指标的换算与利用。     

Density measurements in Pinus sylvestris sawlogs combining X-ray and three-dimensional scanning

Abstract

Wood density is an important quality variable, closely related to the mechanical properties of the wood. Precise wood density measurements in the log sorting would enable density sorting of logs for products such as strength-graded wood and finger-jointed wood. Density sorting of logs would also give more homogeneous drying properties and thus improve the quality of the final products. By compensating the radiographs from an X-ray log scanner for the varying path lengths using outer shape data from a three-dimensional (3D) scanner, it is possible to make precise estimates of both green and dry density. Measurements on simulated industrial data were compared with densities measured in computed tomographic (CT) images for 560 Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) logs. It was found that green sapwood density could be measured with predictability R ²=0.65 and root mean square error (RMSE) of 25 kg m^?3. Green and dry heartwood densities were measured with similar precision: R ²=0.79 and RMSE=32 kg m^?3 for green density and R ²=0.83 and RMSE=32 kg m^?3 for dry density.     

The structure of freeze-etched bordered-pit membranes of Abies grandis

Summary Sapwood, frozen in a conducting state, was freeze-etched for electron microscopy to show undried bordered-pit membranes. These appeared similar in structure to non-aspirated pit membranes observed in wood dried from organic solvents. Freeze-etching showed that, even before drying, the torus is lens-shaped in section and suspended by a margo of large radial strands and numerous smaller fibrils. Globular objects, previously undescribed, whose diameters ranged from 0.3 to 1 m, were found distributed at random on pit membranes and tracheid walls.We thank Mr. D. John for technical assistance, Professor P. E. Weatherley for advice, the Forestry Department, University of Aberdeen for wood samples, and the Canadian Department of the Environment, Canadian Forestry Service, for financial assistance and educational leave to G. S. Puritch.     

Longitudinal shrinkage behaviour of compression wood in radiata pine

The behaviour of longitudinal shrinkage was investigated in the corewood of a swept, 17-year-old New Zealand radiata pine stem. Wood categories in terms of normal wood, mild compression wood and severe compression wood were identified microscopically using autofluorescence of lignin. Average longitudinal shrinkage was collated according to corewood location and wood category within corewood in the leaning and the vertical parts of the stem, and then maximum radial difference of longitudinal shrinkage within growth ring was examined. The results show that the average longitudinal shrinkage is significant (2.4%) in the corewood of the leaning part of the stem. Among wood categories, severer compression wood displays the highest (2.9%) average longitudinal shrinkage. In the context of this study, growth rings may consist of one of three types of wood: (1) only normal wood; (2) a single compression wood type; and (3) mixed-type wood. Where multiple compression woods co-existed with normal wood, the maximum radial difference of longitudinal shrinkage within the growth ring was found to be 4.0%. A strong correlation (R ² = 0.90) between average MFA and average longitudinal shrinkage suggests a significant influence of the average MFA on average longitudinal shrinkage across the three growth ring types.     

Evidence of residual stress in small sections of ordinary green Eucalyptus regnans

Summary Conclusive evidence is offered to show the existence of significant residual elastic stress in the form of alternate layers of tension and compression in relatively small pieces of normal green eucalyptus wood. A method of detecting residual stress in small samples of wood is described, and the stress distribution approximated from deflection measurements following a formula widely used in the science of metallurgy.The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of Mr. J. W. P. Nicholls in providing the X-ray density scans, and Mr. A. Jones in performing the required wood machining.     

Reaction wood in Pseudowintera colorata — A vessel-less dicotyledon

Summary Inclined branches of Pseudowintera colorata exhibit pronounced growth promotion to the lower (abaxial) side similar to that found in gymnosperms. The only other significant difference between the anatomy of the upper and lower regions is that the tracheids on the lower side have a larger microfibril angle. Other microscopic features normally associated with compression wood or tension wood are completely absent. The longitudinal shrinkage of samples from the upper and lower regions is shown to be related to the mean microfibril angle in a highly non-linear way, and a relatively small change in microfibril angle is associated with a large change in longitudinal shrinkage. This result is in agreement with the hypothesis that compression wood force generation arises during the lignification phase of secondary wall deposition and is critically dependent on mean microfibril angle.The author is indebted to Mr R. R. Exley of this laboratory who prepared the samples and made all the measurements in this project     

Collapse and internal checking in the latewood of Eucalyptus regnans F.Muell

Summary Tangential shrinkage was measured on longitudinal-tangential slices of separate earlywood and latewood from one board of Eucalyptus regnans F.Muell. at various temperatures. Large amounts of collapse shrinkage were measured in the latewood slices, and lesser amounts in the earlywood slices. Collapse shrinkage in the earlywood was found only when the slices were dried at temperatures above a minimum temperature (the collapse threshold temperature). End-coated board sections approximately 200 mm long were rapidly dried at dry-bulb temperatures below the collapse threshold temperature for earlywood. Incipient internal checks were found in the latewood of these boards. Board sections dried at higher temperatures showed internal checks starting in both early and latewood. A non-linear drying simulation model was modified to take the heterogeneous nature of wood into account. This model predicted that internal checks would form in this wood even if it were dried sufficiently slowly to avoid surface checking.Symbols D Diffusion coefficient - e_c Creep strain - e_i Instantaneous strain - e_m Mechano-sorptive strain - e_n Net strain - e_u Unconfined shrinkage strain - EW Earlywood - FSP Fibre saturation point - LW Latewood - L-T Longitudinal-tangential slice - MC Moisture content (kg water/kg dry wood) - q Moisture concentration - R-T Radial-tangential slice - t Time - y Depth in board The author is pleased to acknowledge the assistance of Emeritus Professor A. R. Oliver, Associate Professor P. E. Doe, University of Tasmania, and the Australian Furniture Research and Development Institute     

Effect of brief presteaming on shrinkage,collapse and other wood-water relationships in Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell

Summary Brief presteaming of green, increment-core segments of mountain ash (E. regnans F. Muell) produced small but significant changes in a number of moisture-shrinkage parameters. Both total volumetric shrinkage and recoverable collapse were significantly greater in presteamed samples, the increase in collapse being largely attributable to an increase in moisture content after reconditioning (M_r). The change in shrinkage after reconditioning also was significantly related to changes in M_r. The change in M_r was interpreted as reflecting altered permeability in presteamed material and was shown to be negatively related to estimated residual collapse. Initial moisture content and per cent saturation showed a highly significant decrease after presteaming, while green volume showed a small but significant increase. Neither the estimated intersection point, unit shrinkage nor the R-ratio were significantly different after presteaming. However, the unit shrinkage-specific gravity relationship was changed by presteaming such that it more closely complied with Stamm's approximation.The author expresses his appreciation to Dr. Alan Miller for assistance with statistical analysis and to Mr. Chris McEvoy for technical assistance     

The temperature and moisture content in lumber during preheating and drying

Summary The time required to thoroughly preheat/presteam green 8/4 (51 mm) thick red pine and white birch lumber was determined. Thermocouples imbedded in the centre of samples were used to determine presteaming/preheating times for experimental material. These data were then compared to time determined by analytical methods (using formulae developed by Kollmann). No significant differences were found.During the subsequent drying period data were collected on interior wood temperature, mousture content and gradient. Results of the drying tests indicated: i) interior temperature increases in direct relation to elapsed time, ii) moisture content drops exponentially with elapsed time, and iii) an exponential relationship exists between average moisture content and the core temperature of the lumber.Results indicate that monitoring of the lumber drying process through measurements of interior wood temperature may be feasible.The first author was visiting Canada under the Chinese Scholar Program established by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada. His research work was carried out at Forintek Canada Corp., Eastern Laboratory, OttawaThe authors would like to acknowledge the assistance and support of the following: Dr. M. Y. Cech, Manager, Lumber Manufacturing Technology, Forintek Canada Corp., Eastern Forest Products Laboratory-Senior Project Supervisor, and Mr. F. Pfaff, Research Scientist, Forintek Canada Corp