Creep in oak material from the Vasa ship: verification of linear viscoelasticity and identification of stress thresholds

Creep deformation is a general problem for large wooden structures, and in particular for shipwrecks in museums. In this study, experimental creep data on the wooden cubic samples from the Vasa ship have been analysed to confirm the linearity of the viscoelastic response in the directions where creep was detectable (T and R directions). Isochronous stress-strain curves were derived for relevant uniaxial compressive stresses within reasonable time spans. These curves and the associated creep compliance values justify that it is reasonable to assume a linear viscoelastic behaviour within the tested ranges, given the high degree of general variability. Furthermore, the creep curves were fitted with a one-dimensional standard linear solid model, and although the rheological parameters show a fair amount of scatter, they are candidates as input parameters in a numerical model to predict creep deformations. The isochronous stress-strain relationships were used to define a creep threshold stress below which only negligible creep is expected. These thresholds ranges were 0.3-0.5 MPa in the R direction and 0.05-0.2 MPa in the T direction

Mechanical performance of yew (Taxus baccata L.) from a longbow perspective

Yew (Taxus baccata L.) longbow was the preferred weapon in the Middle Ages until the emergence of guns. In this study, the tensile, compression, and bending properties of yew were investigated. The advantage of yew over the other species in the study was also confirmed by a simple beam model. The superior toughness of yew has the effect that a yew longbow has a higher range compared with bows made from other species. Unexpectedly, the mechanical performance of a bow made from yew is influenced by the juvenile-to-mature wood ratio rather than by the heartwood-to-sapwood ratio. A yew bow is predicted to have maximized performance at a juvenile wood content of 30-50%, and located at the concave side (the compressive side facing the bowyer). Here, the stiffness and yield stress in compression should be as high as possibl

Thermal and mechanical properties of chitosan nanocomposites with cellulose modified in ionic liquids

In this paper, ionic liquid treatment was applied to produce nanometric cellulose particles of two polymorphic forms. A complex characterization of nanofillers including wide-angle X-ray scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and particle size determination was performed. The evaluated ionic liquid treatment was effective in terms of nanocrystalline cellulose production, leaving chemical and supermolecular structure of the materials intact. However, nanocrystalline cellulose II was found to be more prone to ionic liquid hydrolysis leading to formation larger amount of small particles. Each nanocrystalline cellulose was subsequently mixed with a solution of chitosan, so that composite films containing 1, 3, and 5% mass/mass of nanometric filler were obtained. Reference samples of chitosan and chitosan with micrometric celluloses were also solvent casted. Thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties of films were tested and correlated with properties of filler used. The results of both, tensile tests and thermogravimetric analysis showed a significant discrepancy between composites filled with nanocrystalline cellulose I and nanocrystalline cellulose II

The potential of wood fibers as reinforcement in cellular biopolymers

Wood fiber-reinforced polylactic acid composite foams have been successfully produced using supercritical carbon dioxide. The addition of fibers had a strong effect on microstructure of the foams. An increase in wood fiber content implied smaller average cell size and higher average cell wall thickness as estimated from image analysis of scanning electron microscopy micrographs. Addition of 10 wt% wood fibers seemed to be a limit to obtain foams, with the used processing conditions