Jinzhen Cao

Beijing Forestry University · Department of Wood Science and Technology

This study aims to investigate the biodegradation of 4,5-dichloro-2-(n-octyl)-3[2H]-isothiazolone (DCOIT) by a brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum as well as the involved mechanism. In the present study, the retentions of DCOIT in treated Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) (MP) chips were determined periodically after incubation with G. trabeum. Then...

Thermal energy storage (TES) composites were fabricated by employing diatomite stabilized paraffin as phase change material (PCM) and wood flour/high-density polyethylene (WF/HDPE) as matrix. TES capacity of the small pores inside diatomite was investigated. The morphology, pore diameter and structure of diatomite and form-stable phase change mater...

To investigate the influence of delignification on wood furfurylation, poplar wood (Populus euramericana Cv.) was partly delignified prior to the impregnation of furfuryl alcohol (FA) at concentration of 25%. The observation by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) showed that many intercellular spac...

In this work, a composite phase change material was prepared by introducing silica-stabilized polyethylene glycol (PEG) into the porous structure of solid wood by temperature-assisted sol-gel method. Thermal properties, moisture adsorption and dimensional stability of the modified wood were tested and analyzed with help of morphology and structure...

Hygrothermal processes are widely used in modification of wood or other lignocellulosic materials to improve their decay resistance and dimensional stability. However, the mechanism behind the improved decay resistance is still unclear. In this study, hygrothermal modification of holocellulose was carried out at different temperature (℃) -duration...

In this study, three types of biochar including wood biochar (WB), rice husk biochar (RHB), and bamboo biochar (BB) were used as fillers to mix with wood flour (WF), polypropylene (PP), and maleic anhydride polypropylene (MAPP) to prepare wood polymer biochar composites (WPBC). The influences of biochar types and addition amounts (10 wt%, 20 wt%, 3...

Automated sorption balances are widely used for characterizing the interaction of water vapor with hygroscopic materials. These instruments provide an efficient way to collect sorption isotherm data and kinetic data. A typical method for defining equilibrium after a step change in relative humidity (RH) is using a particular threshold value for the...

The crucial development of materials that automatically adjust indoor humidity, a significant factor in human health and daily life, has gained importance due to the emphasis on energy conservation. Wood, with its natural hygroscopic properties, is effective in this regard but faces challenges of deformation and cracking due to moisture content...

Various natural polymers offer sustainable alternatives to petroleum‐based adhesives, enabling the creation of high‐performance engineered materials. However, additional chemical modifications and complicated manufacturing procedures remain unavoidable. Here, a sustainable high‐performance engineered composite that benefits from bonding strategies...

There are different fungi colonized on wood in nature, and the competition among them varies with wood species. In order to understand the fungal competition on different substrates and its influence on degradation of both softwood and hardwood, four typical wood-decaying fungi (P. chrysosporium, T. versicolor, P. placenta, G. trabeum) were grouped...

High‐performance porous materials with a low carbon footprint provide sustainable alternatives to petroleum‐based lightweight foams and can help meet carbon neutrality goals. However, these materials generally face a trade‐off between thermal management capabilities and structural strength. Here, a mycelium composite with a hierarchical porous stru...

Densified wood is preferable for structural applications because of its excellent mechanical properties and sustainability, but the fixation of its compression deformation and the prevention of water-induced mechanical deterioration remain challenging. Herein, an eco-friendly and highly efficient method was designed for producing dimensionally-stab...

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is widely used in thermal energy storage, but leakage and lack of stability limit its further development. Wood is widely used as matrix to develop functional composites due to its porous structure and unique composition. In this study, a novel shape‐stabilized eutectic phase change material for thermal storage (EPCMTS) wi...

Dynamic moisture changes affect practical wood processing and wood utilization. To evaluate the effect of acetylation on dynamic moisture sorption of wood, acetylation was controlled at two levels by adjusting the reaction time. A cyclically changing condition was created where the relative humidity changed from 45 to 75% sinusoidally at 25 °C. Moi...

In this study, two plant derived compounds, namely tannin acid (TA) and tung oil (TO) were used to modify southern yellow pine wood (Pinus spp.) to enhance its durability. Wood samples were firstly impregnated with aqueous TA solutions at 5, 10 and 15%, respectively, and then impregnated with TO. Samples treated by TA or TO alone were also prepared...

The biodegradation of lignocellulosic materials in nature is a complex process. To investigate the fungal competition patterns and degradation on Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis), four wood decay fungi, including white-rot and brown-rot fungi, were selected as the test fungi in this research. Bamboo blocks were pre-colonized by different fungi th...

Multidisciplinary diagnostic methods were applied to evaluate the preservation state of waterlogged archaeological wood (WAW) from ancient Chinese shipwreck Nanhai No.1. The characterisation combines micromorphological, physical, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses to overcome limitations of using a single analysis. The micromorphologica...

To investigate effects of furfurylation on interactions between moisture sorption and humidity conditioning of wood, Pinus spp. wood was impregnated with furfuryl alcohol solution. After oven drying, furfurylated wood and untreated wood were subjected to two environments where initial relative humidity (RH) was, respectively, about 60% and 80% at 2...

In order to explore the application of furfurylated wood as engineering material, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was proposed as a toughening agent to incorporate with furfuryl alcohol (FA) to form FA/PVA precursor and impregnate wood in a one-step method. After in situ polymerization upon heating, a hydrophobic network composed of polyfurfuryl alcohol (P...

To investigate the combustion behavior of furfurylated wood in the presence of montmorillonite (MMT) and its char properties, original, MMT-treated, furfuryl alcohol (FA)-treated (i.e., furfurylated), and MMT/FA-treated wood were pyrolyzed and carbonized using thermo-gravimetry and cone calorimeter, respectively. Results on thermal stability, gas e...

The objective of this work was to improve the thermal stability and flame resistance of furfurylated wood via preparing a new multifunctional catalyst system containing boric acid (BA) and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP). Here, poplar wood (Populus cathayana) was impregnated with furfuryl alcohol (FA)/BA/ADP solutions, followed by curing at 105...

Photodegradation and decay may happen simultaneously on wood under many exposure conditions. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of photodegradation on fungal colonization during initial stage of brown-rot decay of wood. For this purpose, southern pine (Pinus spp.) wood was exposed to accelerated UV weathering for different durations, a...

Silica/montmorillonite nanoparticles (silica/MMT-NPs) were synthesized by sol–gel method for stabilizing paraffin oil Pickering emulsion (oil-in-water) which was used for wood treatment. The self-condensation during silica/MMT-NPs preparation resulted in intercalation rather than delamination for MMT, leading to increased droplet size of Pickering....

Differences in the orthotropic viscoelastic properties of Chinese fir wood (Cunninghamia lanceolata) during cooling and heating variations were investigated in the temperature range between −120°C and 25°C. The stiffness and damping of the longitudinal (L), radial (R), and tangential (T) specimens were determined for five equilibrium moisture conte...

Wood-water interactions affect durability and performance of wood products, such as dimensional stability and biodegradation. To upgrade wood, a combined modification via hemicellulose extraction and furfurylation was proposed to inhibit wood-water interactions. More intense hemicellulose extraction caused larger voids and led to higher pore volume...

Plantation-grown poplar ( Populus cathayana ) is regarded as a source of low-quality wood, with poor dimensional stability and low decay resistance. In this study, poplar wood was impregnated with sodium montmorillonite (Na-MMT) or organo-montmorillonite (O-MMT), furfuryl alcohol (FA, at concentrations of 15%, 30% and 50%), separately or in their c...

The microtensile properties of mechanically isolated compression wood (CW) and opposite wood (OW) tracheids of Chinese fir ( Cunninghamia lanceolata ) were investigated and discussed with respect to their structure. Major differences in the tensile modulus and ultimate tensile stress were found between CW and OW fibers. Compared to OW, CW showed a...

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and silica sol were used to improve the dimension stability and hydrophobicity of wood with different moisture contents (MC after oven drying, air drying: 10–12% and steam conditioning: 38–40%) via 24 h immersion treatment. The water in wood served as a medium for helping PEG diffusion into cell wall, resulting in a better...

The present study investigated how the applications of the time-moisture superposition principle (TMSP) under a moisture content (MC) range of 0–14.2% and the time-temperature superposition principle (TTSP) under a temperature range of 30–150 °C would affect to Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata [Lamb.] Hook.) creep behaviors across grain orienta...

Chlorite delignification is popular in preparation of advanced functional biomaterials or pulping processes. To get more knowledge about the effects of chlorite delignification on wood, the dynamic mechanical performance and dynamic sorption behavior of Populus euramericana Cv. delignified at three levels were investigated. Results showed that part...

Moso bamboo were heat-treated under saturated steam atmosphere at three different temperatures separately: 120°C (low temperature heat treatment, LH group), 160°C (medium temperature heat treatment, MH group), and 195°C (high temperature heat treatment, HH group). Then, the heat-treated bamboo slivers were placed in an accelerated UV weathering tes...

In this study, two kinds of plant origin substances, namely tannin acid (TA) and tung oil (TO), were used to treat wood to improve their durability during outdoor applications. For this purpose, southern yellow pine wood was firstly impregnated with TA solution and then immersed in TO at atmospheric pressure. The samples treated with TA or TO alone...

In order to better understand the differences in orthotropic viscoelastic properties of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) in frozen and non-frozen states, the storage modulus (E′) and loss modulus (E″) of the longitudinal, radial, and tangential specimens were investigated under water-saturated conditions with temperatures ranging from −120°C (...

Flammability, as an undesirable inherent nature of wood, limits its usage in many fields of structural applications. Hybrid organic-inorganic modification offers a way to improve the flame retardancy of wood. In this study, montmorillonite (MMT)-catalyzed furfurylated wood was prepared by polymerization of furfuryl alcohol (FA) with hydrogen-MMT (H...

The orthotropic free swelling–shrinkage and mechano-sorptive creep (MSC) during cyclical relative humidity (RH) variation (0–80% RH) and time-dependent viscoelastic creep (VEC) in a steady state (0% RH) were examined in Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata). During RH changing, the occurrences of local maximum or minimum strains of the free swellin...

Three kinds of tree bark extractives from trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) (AE), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) (LE), and western red cedar (Thuja plicata) (RE) were produced and used as antioxidants. The antioxidation activities of those extractives were evaluated and compared with commercial antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The o...

To investigate the effects of changes in biopolymer composition on moisture in acetylated poplar wood (Populus euramericana Cv.), the acetylation of control wood was compared to the acetylation of wood with reduced hemicellulose or lignin content (about 9% reduction of total specimen dry weight in both cases). Time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance...

In this study, Chinese fir bark was extracted separately by three solvents including sodium hydroxide, 95% ethanol, and hot water, and the obtained extractives were labelled as NaE, EtE, and HWE correspondingly. The ultraviolet (UV) absorption and antioxidation activity of those bark extractives were confirmed. The aim of this study was to improve...

In this study, wood flour/polypropylene (WF/PP) composites were prepared by incorporating 2 wt% carbon materials with different morphologies, including carbon black (CB), graphite (G), and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs). WF/PP composite without any additives was included as a reference. All composites were placed in the accelerated UV weather...

Hydrophilicity of fast-growing plantation wood is the major restriction for its outdoor applications. Herein, a novel method is reported for improving the hydrophobicity of Cathay poplar (Populus cathayana Rehd.) by using a paraffin/carnauba (5:5 and 7:3)-mixed wax emulsion system. The poplar samples were impregnated in the single or mixed wax O/W...

Natural wood is susceptible to moisture during its practical use, limiting not only service life but also the range of uses. In this study, plant extracts, specifically linseed oil and carnauba wax (both environmentally friendly and water-repellent substances), were examined as a means to mitigate limitations of natural wood. Stable and homogenous...

For the comprehensive and value‐added utilization of bark, different fractions such as bark extractives (BE), bark fibers (BF), micron‐sized unbleached cellulose particles (UBCP), and bleached cellulose particles (BCP) were produced from western red cedar (Thuja plicata) bark. These fractions were melt compounded with polypropylene (PP) to make com...

Wood treatment was conducted by paraffin/acrylate compound emulsion. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied for modeling and to determine the relationship between hydrophobicity and influencing factors. The results showed that the paraffin emulsion concentration and acrylate emulsion percentage had significant influences on water absorption...

This study was conducted to investigate the hydrothermal softening characteristics of heartwood and sapwood from Catalpa bungei. The viscoelastic properties were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA Q800) with a tension and submersion mode. Heartwood and sapwood specimens were tested under water-saturated conditions in the radial and ta...

Sawdust, a cheap by-product of the timber and forestry industry, was considered as a framework structure to prepare superabsorbent polymer with acrylic acid (AA) and acrylamide (AM), the synthetic monomers. The effects of initiator content, crosslinker content, AA content, AM content, degree of neutralization of AA, and reaction temperature on the...

Two-step treatment involving partial hemicellulose removal and furfurylation was proposed to improve the dynamic dimensional stability of fast growing poplar wood (Populus euramericana Cv.). Moisture content (MC) and dimensional changes were automatically measured during cyclic process where relative humidity changed sinusoidally from 45% to 75% at...

Silica/montmorillonite hybrid nanoparticles were prepared to modify high‐density polyethylene which was used to fabricate wood/polymer composites (WPC). Surface modification of hybrids with γ‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTS) increased water contact angles from 10.7°to 88.1°and decreased the content of hydroxyl groups (42% relative OH cont...

Hygroscopicity and dimensional instability usually impair the service of wood products. To upgrade the property, fast-growing poplar wood (Populus euramericana Cv.) was treated with furfuryl alcohol at a concentration of 25% combined with low hemicellulose pretreatment. Equilibrium moisture content and dimensional changes were measured within the r...

Degradation of lignin occurs naturally in wood due to the influence of microorganisms or photic radiation. To improve the properties of wood with low lignin content, furfuryl alcohol (FA) at the concentration of 25% was used to modify poplar wood ( Populus euramericana Cv.) after partial delignification. Moisture sorption and dimensional stability...

In this study, synergism between two wood modification methods was investigated with the aim of providing insights into improving wood hydrophobicity. Loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda ) was modified using two variants of the same treatment procedure: in the first case, paraffin wax emulsion (PWE) impregnation was followed by thermal modification (TM); i...

Time-dependent creep behavior is one of the most important material characteristics in wood products exposed to various environmental conditions. The creep behaviors, including the general viscoelastic creep (VEC) at constant moisture content and the mechano-sorptive creep (MSC) during moisture content variations, are, however, not sufficiently des...

Silica synergistically stabilized paraffin Pickering emulsion is applied to modify wood flour (WF) for preparing wood/polymer composites. The effect of Pickering emulsion on properties of the WF and its composites with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is investigated. The impregnation of paraffin Pickering emulsion could significantly improve the W...

The orthotropic viscoelastic creep (VEC) at a constant moisture content (MC) and mechano-sorptive creep (MSC) during the adsorption process were examined for Chinese fir ( Cunninghamia lanceolata ) under tension at 20, 40, 60 and 80% relative humidity (RH) (30°C). Free swelling was performed on matched specimens based on the strain partition assump...

In order to clarify the evolution and role of extractives in thermally modified wood during the process of weathering, the compositions of acetone extractives from thermally modified Scots pine after exposure in an accelerated weathering tester for different durations were determined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Fatty acids a...

The weathering of thermally treated wood by light radiation and water is an important problem for the wood used in outdoor applications. In this study, a durable hydrophobic and UV-resistant layer was successfully formed on the surface of thermally treated wood at room temperature after in situ deposition of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles an...

In this study, three types of long-chain surfactants including 12-aminododecanoic acid (ADA), hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium laurylsulfonate (SLS) were intercalated into Na-montmorillonite layers through ion exchange, resulting increased basal spacing of the interlayers, as well as the change of clay surface from hydrophilic...

Silica/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites (SMCs) were prepared by generating SiO2 nanoparticles on an MMT surface using an organic/inorganic hybrid technique with different ratios of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) to MMT (10:1, 20:1 and 40:1). The hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions were controlled by TEOS when it was incorporated into the...

摘要：【目的】为了探究蒙脱土对木塑复合材料耐光老化性能的影响，及其在老化过程中的作用机理，【方法】本文以毛白杨木粉和聚丙烯为原料，选用两种不同类型的蒙脱土即钠基蒙脱土（Na-MMT）和有机蒙脱土(OMMT)为添加剂，在不同添加量的条件下（0，0.5%，1.0%和1.5%）制备了五组木粉/聚丙烯复合材料，并进行长达960 h的人工加速紫外老化。在老化过程中，测试试材的表面颜色和弯曲性能，并利用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）和傅立叶变换衰减全反射红外光谱（ATR-FTIR）对复合材料表面的形貌和化学组成变化进行表征。【结果】结果表明：1）老化造成复合材料表面的褪色及开裂现象，老化960 h后，对照组复合材料的弯曲强度和弯曲模量保持率分别仅为76.4%和61.7%；2）两种类型的蒙脱土均有效抑制了复合材...

In this work, the use of micro-sized cellulosic particles obtained from spray dried cellulose nanofibrils with high lignin content (>20 wt%) were explored for the first time as reinforcement in polypropylene (PP) composites. Their effect was compared with the results from PP composites reinforced by cellulosic particles of spray dried cellulose nan...

Effects of lignin on dynamic sorption and hygroexpansion were investigated. Poplar wood ( Populus cathay ) [20×20×4 mm ³ (radial×tangential×longitudinal)] was delignified at three levels and subjected to dynamic humidity changes, where the relative humidity (RH) changed sinusoidally between 45% and 75% at 25°C during 1, 6 and 24 h. Moisture content...

Based on the results of nitrogen adsorption and dynamic vapour sorption as well as analysis by the Hailwood–Horrobin (H-H) model, the effects of γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTS) on the agglomeration and moisture sorption properties of fumed silica particles were investigated. After adding various concentrations (2%, 4%, 6% and 8%) of MPT...

A strategy of enhancing the reactivity of lignin molecule towards thermally initiated free radical polymerization was examined. Technical lignin samples were reacted with selected esterification agents (butyric and crotonic anhydrides) leading to extensive conversion of the available hydroxyl groups. The esterified lignins were then subjected to th...

The poor anti-weathering performance of thermally modified wood is always an issue that influences its appearance as well as its service life after exposure in outdoor circumstance. In this study, titania (TiO2) sol, paraffin emulsion, and their combination were used to impregnate thermally modified Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood, modifie...

Aiming at a better leaching resistance of borate-treated wood, the quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DDAC) and benzalkonium chloride (BAC) were reacted with sodium tetrafluoroborate (NaBF 4 ). The anti-fungal properties of the resulting didecyl dimethyl ammonium tetrafluoroborate (DBF) and benzalkonium tetraf...

Thermal energy storage (TES) composites were prepared by employing expanded graphite (EG) stabilized paraffin as phase change material (PCM) and wood flour/high density polyethylene (WF/HDPE) as matrix. The morphology and structure of EG and form-stable phase change material (FSPCM) were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray dif...

In this study, low-temperature thermally-modified (at 140°C) Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood samples were impregnated with either one or more modifying agents, including the brown colorant, paraffin wax emulsion (PWE), and an organic preservative (4,5-dichloro-2-octyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one, DCOIT) microemulsion. All wood samples were assessed i...

Pickering emulsions (emulsions stabilized by solid-state additives) are attractive as they have strong similarities with traditional surfactant-based emulsions. In this study, an oil-in-water (O/W) paraffin Pickering emulsion system with satisfying stability and small droplet size distribution was developed by hydrophilic silica particles and tradi...

Wood is a natural and renewable material used extensively. However, it is generally susceptible to biological attacks caused by fungi and termites. Studies showed that copper azole (CA) could effectively inhibit the growth of such organisms. CA belongs to water-borne preservatives and CA-treated wood inevitably suffers from poor dimensional stabili...

Southern pine (Pinus spp.) sapwood samples were impregnated with silica sols with known zeta potential and particle size distribution at various pH values (3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13) to produce wood-silica composites (WSiCs). The morphological and chemical properties of the composites were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-r...

Wood plastic composites can absorb water in exterior applications due to the hygroscopicity of wood flour (WF). The cycle of adsorption and desorption process causes damage to the interfacial bonding between WF and polymer matrix, which benefits the fungal attack. In this study, WF was, respectively, immersed with silane, wax emulsion, and their co...

Thermal energy storage composites were fabricated using paraffin as phase change material (PCM) and wood flour/high-density polyethylene (WF/HDPE) as the composite matrix. Expanded graphite (EG) was added to modify the thermal conductivity. The prepared paraffin/WF/HDPE composites were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffracto...

In order to investigate the effects of extractives on photo-degradation of thermally-modified wood during artificial weathering, different kinds of extracted thermally-modified and unmodified wood samples were exposed in a xenon weatherometer for 1008 h and then the surface color and chemical changes were tested by chromameter, scanning electron mi...

To provide comprehensive data on creep behaviors at relative humidity (RH) isohume conditions and find the basic characteristics of mechano-sorptive (MS) creep (MSC), the tensile creep behaviors, "viscoelastic creep (VEC)" at equilibrium moisture content and MSC during adsorption process, were performed on Chinese fir in the longitudinal direction...

The application of time–temperature superposition principle (TTSP) to orthotropic creep in dry Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata [Lamb.] Hook.) was investigated through a sequence of short-term tensile creep for longitudinal (L), radial (R), and tangential (T) specimens in the temperature range of 30–150 °C. A visual assessment for the validity...

Three types of organo-montmorillonite (OMMT) modified lignocellulosic fibers/flours reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites were prepared with wood flour (WF), cellulose flour (CF), and lignin flour (LF). The fungi resistance of the composites was tested in laboratory against brown rot (Gloeophyllum trabeum) and white rot (Coriolus versicolor). Th...

Utilisation of lignin in plastic based blends offers a sustainable alternative to non-renewable materials as well as value-added use of technical lignin obtained from pulping operations. To overcome poor compatibility between lignin and plastic, in this study, two industrial lignins (softwood Kraft and agricultural fiber soda) were esterified (with...

Impregnation of wood with paraffin wax emulsion (PWE) is a common eco-friendly approach for improving water repellency. In this study, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvesteris) samples were impregnated with PWEs with different solid contents and particle sizes, and the influence of the impregnation parameters on wax penetration...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of preimpregnation of thermally modified wood (TMW) with paraffin wax emulsion (WE), which was loaded with disodium octoborate tetrahydrate (DOT). The improvements of physical, mechanical, and biological properties of WEDOT-TMW was in focus. The thermal modification (TM) was conducted at 220°C for...

This study aims to clarify the role of variegatic acid (VA) in fungal attack by Serpula lacrymans, and also the generation and scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by the fungus. VA promotes a mediated Fenton reaction to generated ROS after oxalate solubilizes oxidized forms of iron. The fungal extracellular matrix (ECM) β-glucan scavenged R...

The consumption of wood-plastic composites (WPCs), made from thermoplastics and woody fibers, has registered a significant increase over the past. They have been widely used in a variety of applications. However, when used outdoors, both the woody fibers and the polymer matrix experience photodegradation, which finally shortens their service-life....

The surface of hydrophilic silica particles was modified with different concentrations (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%) of γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTS). The hydrophobicity and hygroscopicity of unmodified and modified silica were investigated through water contact angle (WCA) tests and dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) method, respectively. The resul...

In this study, 5-sulfosalicylic acid (SA) anions have been intercalated into Mg3Al-NO3 layered double hydroxide (LDH) to synthesize SA-intercalated Mg3Al-NO3-LDH (LDH-SA) by ion-exchange reaction. Then, the effects of LDH, SA, and LDH-SA on the photostability of wood flour/polypropylene (WF/PP) composites during accelerated ultraviolet (UV) weather...

In this study, Mg3Al-NO3 layered double hydroxide (LDH) and sodium ligninsulfonate-layered double hydroxide (LDH-SL) complex were successfully synthesized. Then, 1wt% of LDH, sodium ligninsulfonate (SL), and LDH-SL were mixed directly with wood flour and polypropylene to make wood flour/polypropylene (WF/PP) composites, respectively. Four groups of...

In this study, two lignin-clay complexes namely lignin-diatomite (L-DMT) and lignin-montmorillonite (L-MMT) were prepared. Then, 1wt% of DMT, MMT, L-DMT, and L-MMT were incorporated into wood flour/polypropylene (WF/PP) composites and their effects on properties and weatherability were investigated. The changes in their surface color, flexural and...

Green biopolymer alloys based on the bacterial polyester poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and softwood Kraft lignin were successfully prepared via dicumyl peroxide (DCP) initiated free radical grafting during melt extrusion to improve interfacial adhesion. It is postulated that lignin was grafted onto PHBV to form a cross-linked...

The effects of vacuum heat treatment were studied relative to the chemical composition of larch wood. The samples were heat-treated in vacuum at 160 °C, 200 °C, and 240 °C for 4 h, and the chemical changes were investigated by wet chemical analysis, elemental analysis, calorific value determination, and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometr...

The photo-stabilizing effect of post-extraction was evaluated for thermally modified wood. Extracted and non-extracted thermally modified Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) samples were exposed in a xenon weather-ometer for 1008 h, and the surface color and chemical changes were characterized using a chroma meter, attenuated total reflectance Fourier...

The alkyl-alkoxysilane (AAS) pre-impregnation method and thermal modification were combined to improve the water-related properties of southern yellow pine (Pinus spp.) sapwood. Four types of AAS with varied alkyl chain lengths, including butyltrimethoxysilane (BTMOS), octyltrimethoxysilane (OTMOS), dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTMOS), and cetyltrimeth...

The biochemical role of oxalate in the fungal solubilization of iron is well known, but additional information is needed on the role that oxalate plays in the brown-rot decay of lignocellulose. In this study iron sequestration from iron and iron oxide-hydroxides was assessed with regard to the function of a chelator-mediated Fenton (CMF) reaction a...