Sampling sufficiency for mechanical properties of wood

Based on most recently published studies, there is a large variability in both the mechanical properties of wood and sample sizes selected to evaluate them. This study aims to define sampling sufficiency for some mechanical properties of wood, which were bending strength, bending modulus, compressive strength, compressive modulus, hardness, and shear strength. The mechanical tests were carried out according to the ASTM D143 on wood samples cut from clonal Eucalyptus planted in southern Brazil. Sampling sufficiency was determined by an intensive computational method based on resampling of original data using Monte Carlo simulations. The experimental tests data conformed to the normal distribution and most of the obtained sufficient sample sizes determined by Monte Carlo simulation were above those sample sizes used in most already published studies. Furthermore, properties related to wood stiffness presented smaller variabilities than their respective properties associated with wood strength, leading to smaller sample sizes for the former cases

Tensões de crescimento longitudinais e propriedades mecânicas da madeira de clones de Eucalyptus spp.

Em vista da crescente utilização da madeira de eucalipto no setor industrial e da frequência com que ocorrem defeitos de crescimento e secagem, se devem ao fator espécie. O presente estudo objetivou analisar caracte-rísticas tecnológicas da madeira de clones do gênero Eucalyptus. Foram selecionados 29 clones aos três e sete anos de idade no município de Tapes, Rio Grande do Sul. Nas árvores em pé e vivas, foi avaliada a de-formação residual longitudinal (DRL) por meio de extensômetro CIRAD - Forêt, bem como a velocidade de propagação de ondas de ultrassom (Vsom), parâmetros os quais originaram resultados de Tensão de Cresci-mento Longitudinal (TCL). Foram confeccionados corpos de prova para a avaliação das propriedades físicas da madeira como: massa específica básica e básica ponderada e velocidade de propagação de ondas de ultras-som. Também propriedades mecânicas de resistência e rigidez, obtidas pelos ensaios de flexão estática, com-pressão paralela às fibras, cisalhamento e dureza Janka, sendo que para os ensaios de propagação de onda ultrassonora e de flexão estática, foram propostos dois teores de umidades distintos (12% e umidade de satu-ração). Foram calculados os módulos de elasticidade dinâmicos pela técnica ultrassonora para as duas condi-ções de umidade, sendo que os parâmetros mecânicos avaliados na condição de saturação também foram em-pregados no cálculo da tensão de crescimento longitudinal (TCL1 e TCL2). Em relação à massa especifica e às propriedades mecânicas, destacaram-se os clones 1 (Eucalyptus urophylla x Eucalyptus maidenii), 23 (Eu-calyptus saligna x Eucalyptus saligna) e 24 (Eucalyptus saligna x Eucalyptus saligna). Já do ponto de vista dos níveis de DRL, ressaltaram-se os clones 68 (Eucalyptus urophylla x Eucalyptus globulus) e 72 (Eucalyp-tus urophylla x Eucalyptus globulus), os quais podem ser indicados para o melhoramento genético tendo em vista à propensão a incidência de defeitos oriundos das tensões de crescimento

Hydrothermal treatments to promote surface inactivation and increased flexibility in three hardwoods

In the present study, three juvenile hardwoods (namely sycamore, pecan and london plane) were treated by boiling, steaming and microwave. Trees from Platanus x acerifolia (sycamore), Carya illinoinensis (pecan) and Luehea divaricata (london plane) were selected in homogeneous forests located in southern Brazil. Each hydrothermal treatment was performed for 60 min. In general, the hydrothermal treatments caused a certain surface inactivation effect, which was marked by decreased surface roughness, increased hydrophobic character and darkened colour patterns. Also, both decreased stiffness and strength, as well as increased deflectibility were obtained. These mechanisms were attributed to degradation in fine segments from amorphous polysaccharides, leaching of some organic extractives and fragmentation of lignin, as indirectly indicated by infrared spectra

Wood Flour Modified by Poly(furfuryl alcohol) as a Filler in Rigid Polyurethane Foams: Effect on Water Uptake

The use of lignocellulosic fillers in rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) has been receiving great attention due to their good mechanical and insulation properties and the high sustainable appeal of the obtained cellular polymers, although high water uptakes are found in most of these systems. To mitigate this detrimental effect, RPUFs filled with wood flour (2.5% wt) were fabricated with the addition of furfuryl alcohol (FA) to create a polymer grafted with the wood filler. Two concentrations of FA (10 wt% and 15 wt%) were investigated in relation to the wood flour, and the RPUFs were characterized for cell morphology, density, compressive properties, thermal stability, and water uptake. The introduction of wood flour as a filler decreased the cell size and increased the anisotropy index of the RPUFs and, in addition to that, the FA grafting increased these effects even more. In general, there were no significant changes in both mechanical and thermal properties ascribed to the incorporation of the fillers. On the other hand, a reduction of up to 200% in water uptake was ascribed to the FA-treated fillers.This work was supported by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education—CAPES (code 001), the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development—CNPq (Financial code 301758/2019-0) and the University of Basque Country (COLAB20/04)

Effects of thermal treatment and weathering in the resistance against termites of a fast-growing pine wood

Considering the limited existing literature on the combined effects of thermal treatment and weathering on the resistance of fast-growing pine wood to subterranean termites, this work deals with the resistance against subterranean termites of a thermally treated and weathered fast-growing pine wood. The pine wood was thermally treated at variable temperatures (c.a. 180 ºC, 200 ºC, and 220°C) for 2 h and then exposed to artificial weathering for three months. Chemical, hygroscopic, thermal, mechanical, colorimetric, biological, and morphological characteristics were evaluated. Compared to the untreated wood, as expected, the thermal treatments yielded wood parts with improved thermal, hygroscopic and colorimetric features. The thermal treatment also helped for retaining the thermal stability, volumetric hydrophobicity, color, and roughness of the pine wood exposed to the weathering. Previous changes ascribed to the weathering process did not affect the damages attributed to the termites attack, although that wood treated at 180 ºC presented an increased resistance against the termites deterioration

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in treated woods deteriorated by a white rot fungus

This study aimed to analyze chemical changes by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy of Eucalyptus dunnii and Pinus elliottii treated woods subjected to an accelerated decay test with the white rot fungus Ganoderma applanatum. The wood test specimens (2,5x2,5x0,9 cm) were impregnated with preservative solutions of chromated copper borate and synthetic pyrethroids and carbamates with 6% concentration by a vaccum-pressure process. After a decay test of 16 weeks, the chemical changes of the treated and untreated wood samples were evaluated by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. It was observed that the rot fungus attack caused a variation in the intensity and a displacement of spectrum peaks, indicating a change to the woods’ chemical composition after fungal exposure. The lignin / carbohydrate ratio indicated that the fungus had no preference for a specific cell wall component, pointing to a simultaneous deterioration of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin in the treated and untreated woods. Finally, the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy technique, together with the lignin / carbohydrate ratio analysis, proved efficient in the study of the variation of the wood chemical modifications deteriorated by rot fungi

Islamic copper-based metal artefacts from the Garb al-Andalus. A multidisciplinary approach on the Alcáçova of Martulah (Mértola, South of Portugal)

A multidisciplinary approach has been applied to investigate the production technology of a collection of copper-based artefacts found during archaeological excavation campaigns carried out in the Almohad neighbourhood of Martulah, the Islamic name of modern Mértola (South of Portugal). In stark contrast to other Islamic materials found in the same site such as common and finely decorated pottery, glass, and bone artefacts, metal objects have received less attention despite the high number of artefacts recovered. This study focuses on the chemical characterisation of 171 copper-based artefacts dating back to the 12th and the first half of the thirteenth centuries. The artefacts are daily use objects and consist of personal ornaments (earrings, rings, and casket ornaments), tools (spindles, spatulas, and oil lamp sticks) and artefacts with unknown functions. The analytical results by X-ray fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) provided information not only about technological issues but infer as well on the socio-economic implications of metal consumption in Islamic Mértola. Results revealed that metals were produced using a variety of Cu-based alloys, namely unalloyed copper, brasses (Cu + Zn), bronzes (Cu + Sn), and red brasses (Cu + Sn + Zn), with a variable concentration of Pb, without any apparent consistency, as a likely result of recurrent recycling and mixing scrap metals practices or use of mineral raw materials available locally

Vergamento da madeira de Eucalyptus grandis plasticizada por vaporização e cozimento

O vergamento de madeira foi utilizado ao longo dos séculos para a produção de objetos grandes, como estruturas de embarcações ou pequenos utensílios. Mesmo com constantes estudos de vergamento, há carência de melhorias de processo e inclusão de madeiras de baixo valor comercial. Assim, o presente trabalho analisou a madeira vergada de Eucalyptus grandis tratada por diferentes tempos de exposição à vaporização e ao cozimento. Foram analisados o número de tipos de defeitos por peça vergada (Nºdef), a variação no teor de umidade perante os tratamentos (ΔTu), a pressão de extremidade (Pe) e a perda de forma circular (Pf). Verificou-se que as variáveis diferem significativamente entre os tipos de tratamento de vaporização e cozimento, exceto para o Nºdef. Os tempos de tratamento não apresentaram efeito significativo. Concluiu-se que a espécie é aceitável para vergamentos em raios inferiores ao utilizado no presente estudo. Adicionalmente, a vaporização mostrou ser o melhor tratamento, por apresentar melhores parâmetros de qualificação

Wood natural resistance of seven forest species to white rot caused by Pycnoporus sanguineus

This research evaluated the natural resistance of: Platanus x acerifolia, Luehea divaricate, Carya illinoinensis, Peltophorum dubium, Araucaria angustifolia, Eucalyptus grandis and Hovenia dulcis, to accelerated decay of the white-rot fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus. The Specific Density at 12% was determinated. The accelerated decay test was conducted with glass bottles (capacity of 500 mL) filled with 100 g of moist soil, autoclaved, and kept at 25 °C. The initial establishment of fungal colonies on plates was supported by samples of Pinus elliottii sapwood. In this study, three samples of dimensions 9.0 x 25.0 x 25.0 mm were used for each species evaluated and, after 16 weeks of incubation, the percentage loss of mass was calculated. The degree of natural resistance was performed according to the percentages of mass loss. The results obtained from weight loss were compared by Tukey test at 5%. The natural resistance of woods was not influenced by specific gravity. The wood of Carya illinoinensis, Eucalyptus grandis, Platanus x acerifolia, Luehea divaricata and Peltophorum dubium were classified as very resistant, Houvenia dulcis as resistant and Araucaria angustifolia as moderate resistant