Influence of soil physicochemical properties on biometrical and physical features of persian oak wood

This article investigates the relationships between soil characteristics (physical and chemical) and wood properties of Persian oak in three different elevation sites. For this purpose, 27 trees were randomly chosen and cut in Zagros forests in western Iran. The test samples were prepared at the stem (breast height) to examine physical and biometrical properties. For each elevation site, four soil samples were obtained at a 0-20 cm soil depth under the canopy of each tree to measure soil properties, including clay, silt soil, sand soil, electrical conductivity, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic matter content. Then, the relationship of soil and wood properties was determined by principal component analysis. Results specified that there are a positive correlation between wood density and volumetric swelling with clay and available potassium. Moreover, the results revealed a positive correlation between fiber length, cell wall thickness, and fiber diameter with electrical conductivity, sand percentage, and total nitrogen content, respectively

Suitability of Thin-Layer Drying Models for Halogen Lamp Drying of Sugarcane Bagasse

The drying process of bagasse particles was investigated in this study using an artificial neural network (ANN) and 18 thin-layer drying (TLD) models. These models are used for investigating kinetics and understanding engineering parameters involved in the drying process of food and agricultural products. Bagasse particles were studied at 105 to 135 °C and an initial moisture content of 180% (based on the dry weight) using a halogen moisture analyzer. The results showed that an increase in the temperature decreased the bagasse drying period and increased the constant drying. The whole drying process of bagasse happened in a falling drying rate period. The fitness of drying curves on semi-experimental TLD models based on statistical parameters, including root mean square error (RMSE), sum of square errors (SSE), and coefficient of determination (R2) showed that the Hii et al. model had the highest coefficient of determination and the lowest error percentage. The ANN predicted changes in the bagasse moisture content through time more accurately than the Hii et al model. Also, the results demonstrated that the selected ANN model and a number of semi-empirical models with less than 3 adjustable parameters provided good agreement and can be considered promising tools to predict drying kinetic of bagasse particles

Characterization of anatomical, morphological, physical and chemical properties of Konar (Ziziphus spina-christi) wood

The goal of this research is to investigate some morphological (fibre length, fibre diameter, cell wall thickness, Runkel coefficient, flexibility coefficient, slenderness coefficient, rigidity coefficient, Luce\u27s coefficient, solid coefficient), physical (dry wood density, volumetric shrinkage) and chemical (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, ash and acetone soluble extractives contents) composition of Konar (Ziziphus spina-christi) wood grown in Hormozgan province, Iran. For this purpose, three normal trees were selected randomly and a disk was cut from each one at breast height. Anatomical inspection revealed that the species was diffuse porous, with distinctive growth rings, simple preformation plate, with polygonal openings, and banded or diffuse-in aggregates parenchyma. The average values of wood dry density, fiber length, fiber diameter, cell wall thickness, Runkel coefficient, flexibility coefficient, felting coefficient, Luce’s coefficient, solid coefficient, rigidity coefficient were 0.926, 52.1, 77.85, 0.57, 163 ×103 μ3 and 0.48. Cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, acetone soluble, extractives, ashcontents were43.34, 19.98, 33.9, 6.42 and 2.78%, resp

Fizikalne in kemijske lastnosti lesa treh divjih vrst mandljevca, ki rastejo v gozdovih Zagrosa

In this study, the physical properties (oven-dry density, basic density, volumetric shrinkage, and swelling) and structural components (cellulose, lignin, and extractives content) of three wild almond wood species from southwestern Iran, namely Amygdalus arabica, Amygdalus eburna, and Amygdalus scoparia, were investigated. Wild almond is a valuable wood species in the Zagros forests of Iran, but there is a lack of data on their wood properties. Three adult trees of each species were chosen, and samples were prepared from the breast height diameter to measure the focal properties. Results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the wood species had a significant effect on the wood density and volumetric shrinkage. Maximum oven-dry density and volumetric shrinkage of wood were identified in Amygdalus scoparia. The highest and lowest content of structural components were found in Amygdalus scoparia and Amygdalus arabica wood species, respectively. A deep understanding of the almond wood characteristics will provide a fresh insight into the relationship between the properties and conservation of these special, as well as applications of their wood.V študiji so bile raziskane fizikalne lastnosti (gostota, osnovna gostota, prostorninsko krčenje in nabrekanje) in kemijska sestava (celuloza, lignin in ekstraktivne snovi) lesa treh divjih vrst mandljev, in sicer Amygdalus arabica, Amygdalus eburna in Amygdalus scoparia iz jugozahodnega Irana. Divji mandelj je dragocena drevesna vrsta v gozdovih Zagrosa v Iranu, podatki o lastnostih lesa pa so pomanjkljivi. Izbrana so bila tri sestojna drevesa vsake vrste, za merjenje omenjenih lastnosti pa so bili pripravljeni vzorci iz nivoja v prsni višini. Rezultati analize variance (ANOVA) so pokazali, da vrsta pomembno vpliva na gostoto lesa in prostorninsko krčenje. Največje vrednosti gostote absolutno suhega lesa in prostorninskega skrčka so bile ugotovljene pri vrsti Amygdalus scoparia. Najvišje in najnižje vsebnosti kemijskih komponent pa so bile ugotovljene pri lesnih vrstah Amygdalus scoparia in Amygdalus arabica. Poglobljeno razumevanje značilnosti mandljevega lesa bo omogočilo nov vpogled v povezavo med lastnostmi in ohranjanjem ter uporabo lesa raziskanih vrst

Comprehensive evaluation of hawthorn wood characteristics in relation to soil physicochemical properties

Physical properties such as dry wood density and volumetric swelling and fiber dimension parameters like fiber length, fiber diameter, and cell wall thickness were investigated. Soil properties including clay, silt soil, sand soil, electrical conductivity, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and organic matter content were determined. Pearson correlation was applied to explore the relationship between soil and wood properties. The mean wood density and volumetric swelling obtained were 0.71 g.cm-3 and 18%, respectively. Moreover, the mean values of fiber length, fiber diameter, and cell wall thickness were 0.80 mm, 20.50 μm, and 5.78 μm, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant and positive correlation between wood dry density, cell wall thickness and volumetric swelling with percentage of silt, while a negative relationship between fiber length and percentage of silt were found

Effect of weathering on Surface properties of HDPE-based wood plastic composites

In this study, Effect of weathering on Surface properties of HDPE-based wood plastic composites was investigated. The variable factors were titanium dioxide nanoparticles content (0, 1, 2 and 3%), raw material type (heat treated wood and untreated wood) and photo stabilizer (0 and 1%). Lightness index (L*) and color changes (∆E) were investigated after 0, 500, 1000 and 1500 hours weathering. Chemical changes and surface deterioration that occurred due to weathering were also analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after 1500 hours weathering. Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) of WPCs showed that carbonyl index increased and wood index decreased after weathering. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) also showed that weathered samples experienced surface deterioration. Wood plastic composites containing titanium dioxide nanoparticles, thermowood (heat treated wood) and tinuvin 328 (photo stabilizer) showed less surface cracks after weathering compared to control sample. Carbonyl index and wood index changes of samples containing titanium dioxide nanoparticles, thermowood and tinuvin 328 decreased after weathering compared to control sample. The results also showed that lightness index and color change of samples increased after weathering. The color stability of WPCs was improved by using of wood plastic composites containing titanium dioxide nanoparticles, thermowood and tinuvin 328

Isolation and Discovery of New Antimicrobial-agent Producer Strains Using Antibacterial Screening of Halophilic Gram-positive Endospore-forming Bacteria Isolated from Saline Lakes of Iran

Abstract Background: Today, discovery and production of new antimicrobial drugs has been emphasized due to the growing of antimicrobial resistance. The purpose of this study was to screen out antimicrobial producing bacteria among halophilic or halotolerant Gram-positive endospore-forming bacteria isolated from different areas of Iran. Materials and Methods: 62 strains were isolated from salin lakes of Iran, endospore-forming ability was evaluated and further identification of strains was done using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Screening test was performed using two-layer agar diffusion method in which the indicator strains, Bacillus cereus (ATCC 14579) and Escherichia coli, (PTCC 1330) were inoculated in the seed layer. Finally, the production of antimicrobial active agent during a period of 7 days was studied followed by evaluating the effect of base-layer agar concentration on the dissemination of antibacterial metabolite. Results: Isolates WT6, R4A19 produced an agent(s) which inhibited the growth of both B.cereuse and E.Coli. The inhibition zone against only E.Coli was observed when R4A20 strain had been cultured in the base layer, while four non-bacillus strains (R4S2, LbS2, RF1 and WT19) could inhibit the growth of B.cereuse. The antibacterial compound production of WT6 against Bacillus cereuse and E.Coli reached to its optimumm leved after 3 and 4 days respectively, while R4A20 produced the active substance, optimally, after 5 days. No significant difference effect on diameter of zone inhibition was observed among various base-layer agar concentrations. Conclusion: Halophile or halotolerant endospore-forming bacteria isolated from different areas of Iran possess a potential to be considered as interesting microorganisms for further antimicrobial research studies