Thermal analysis of oriental beech sawdust treated with some commercial wood preservatives

In this study, investigation of the thermal properties of Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis) sawdust treated with 0,25; 1 and 4,70% aqueous solutions of Adolit KD-5, Wolmanit CX- 8 and Tanalit-E were performed by using thermogravimetric analysis, differential-thermal analysis, and differential-thermal analysis under argon atmosphere. Results were compared with the untreated wood (control). It was found that the treatment with Adolit KD-5, Wolmanit CX- 8 and Tanalit-E decreased the Tmax (maximum degradation temperature) and increased residual char amount with respect to the control sample. Increases in the concentration of applied preservatives promote the char formation. It was found that the char content after pyrolysis experiment had good agreement with the boric acid amount in wood preservatives

Thermal degradation of oriental beech wood impregnated with different inorganic salts

This study investigated the thermal properties of Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis) treated with (NH4)2HPO4, K2HPO4, NH4Cl and (NH4)2SO4 salts and their mixtures (1:1; w/w) aqueous solutions at 3% concentrations. The effects of different inorganic salts fire retardants on the thermal degradation characteristics of wood samples were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Based on the TGA curve for untreated beech wood, weight loss takes place at three distinct steps. The impregnation of inorganic salts resulted in higher char yields and additional thermal degradation steps were identified. The highest char yield (80%) was obtained from (NH4)2HPO4-K2HPO4 mixture impregnated sample.  Salt mixtures containing phosphates ((NH4)2HPO4 and K2HPO4) have remarkable effects on thermal stability of beech wood, whereas NH4Cl salt lowered the decomposition temperatures and char yield. &nbsp

Meeting places and social capital supporting rural landscape stewardship : A Pan-European horizon scanning

Achieving sustainable development as an inclusive societal process in rural landscapes, and sustainability in terms of functional green infrastructures for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, are wicked challenges. Competing claims from various sectors call for evidence-based adaptive collaborative governance. Leveraging such approaches requires maintenance of several forms of social interactions and capitals. Focusing on Pan-European regions with different environmental histories and cultures, we estimate the state and trends of two groups of factors underpinning rural landscape stewardship, namely, (1) traditional rural landscape and novel face-to-face as well as virtual fora for social interaction, and (2) bonding, bridging, and linking forms of social capital. We applied horizon scanning to 16 local landscapes located in 18 countries, representing Pan-European social-ecological and cultural gradients. The resulting narratives, and rapid appraisal knowledge, were used to estimate portfolios of different fora for social interactions and forms of social capital supporting landscape stewardship. The portfolios of fora for social interactions were linked to societal cultures across the European continent: “self-expression and secular-rational values” in the northwest, “Catholic” in the south, and “survival and traditional authority values” in the East. This was explained by the role of traditional secular and religious local meeting places. Virtual internet-based fora were most widespread. Bonding social capitals were the strongest across the case study landscapes, and linking social capitals were the weakest. This applied to all three groups of fora. Pan-European social-ecological contexts can be divided into distinct clusters with respect to the portfolios of different fora supporting landscape stewardship, which draw mostly on bonding and bridging forms of social capital. This emphasizes the need for regionally and culturally adapted approaches to landscape stewardship, which are underpinned by evidence-based knowledge about how to sustain green infrastructures based on both forest naturalness and cultural landscape values. Sharing knowledge from comparative studies can strengthen linking social capital

The Effects of Natural Weathering on Color Stability of Impregnated and Varnished Wood Materials

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of natural weathering on color stability of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.) impregnated with some chemicals [tanalith-E (TN-E), adolit-KD5 (AD-KD5), and chromated copper arsenate (CCA)] and then varnished [synthetic varnish (SV) and polyurethane varnish (PV)]. While applying varnish increased lightness, impregnation decreased lightness of the wood specimens before natural weathering. Natural weathering caused greenish, bluish, and dark color tones of the wood surface. Total color change was increased with increasing exposure times in natural weathering. Untreated (control) wood specimens exhibited higher color changes than the other wood specimens in all the stages of natural weathering. The total color changes of untreated Oriental beech specimens were less than untreated Scots pine specimens. The color stability of impregnated and varnished wood specimens gave better results than untreated and solely varnished wood specimens after natural weathering. The best color stability was obtained from both Oriental beech and Scots pine wood impregnated with TN-E before PV coating

Thermal analysis of oriental beech sawdust treated with some commercial wood preservatives

In this study, investigation of the thermal properties of Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis) sawdust treated with 0,25; 1 and 4,70% aqueous solutions of Adolit KD-5, Wolmanit CX- 8 and Tanalit-E were performed by using thermogravimetric analysis, differential-thermal analysis, and differential-thermal analysis under argon atmosphere. Results were compared with the untreated wood (control). It was found that the treatment with Adolit KD-5, Wolmanit CX- 8 and Tanalit-E decreased the Tmax (maximum degradation temperature) and increased residual char amount with respect to the control sample. Increases in the concentration of applied preservatives promote the char formation. It was found that the char content after pyrolysis experiment had good agreement with the boric acid amount in wood preservatives

ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF A FOREST RECREATION AREA: AN EXAMPLE FROM ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Forest recreation areas play an important role in urban sustainability. These areas should essentially provide viable and continuous urban recreation experiences for the residents. Accordingly, recreational assessments of these areas have to be performed, supplying the necessary data to the public administrators to make right decisions. Statistical analysis techniques taking more inexpensive and readily available data should be employed in recreational value assessments. In this study, modern statistical analysis methods using time series type of data have been applied for the value estimations of recreational areas in one of the most crowded cities of the world, Istanbul. The exploited time series consists of social, economic and ecological variables for the period between 1970 and 2008. As for the statistical analysis methods, Augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root test, Engle-Granger Two-Step Co-integration test and analysis techniques have been employed. According to the results of the studies to determine the recreational value, it has been shown that the selected econometric analysis techniques using time series data can be successfully employed provided that a number of issues such as stationarity and spurious regression must be resolved with the help of additional and supplementary scientific studies

Thermal degradation of oriental beech wood impregnated with different inorganic salts

This study investigated the thermal properties of Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis) treated with (NH4)2HPO4, K2HPO4, NH4Cl and (NH4)2SO4 salts and their mixtures (1:1; w/w) aqueous solutions at 3% concentrations. The effects of different inorganic salts fire retardants on the thermal degradation characteristics of wood samples were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Based on the TGA curve for untreated beech wood, weight loss takes place at three distinct steps. The impregnation of inorganic salts resulted in higher char yields and additional thermal degradation steps were identified. The highest char yield (80%) was obtained from (NH4)2HPO4-K2HPO4 mixture impregnated sample.  Salt mixtures containing phosphates ((NH4)2HPO4 and K2HPO4) have remarkable effects on thermal stability of beech wood, whereas NH4Cl salt lowered the decomposition temperatures and char yield.

Weathering characteristics of impregnated and coated calabrian pine wood

This study was designed to investigate the weathering characteristics of Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia) wood. The wood specimens were impregnated with some copper-based chemicals and then varnish coated. As copper-based chemicals, Celcure C4, Korasit KS, and Tanalith E 8000 were used for impregnation. Polyurethane varnish (PV) and water-based varnish (WBV) were used as coating materials. Firstly, Calabrian pine wood was impregnated with 2,5 % and 5 % aqueous solutions of chemicals then coated with polyurethane varnish and WBV. Impregnated and coated Calabrian pine wood specimens were subjected to 6 months of natural weathering in Mugla, Turkey. After weathering; surface hardness, surface roughness, and adhesion strength changes of Calabrian pine wood specimens were determined. Impregnation caused to increase in surface hardness values of Calabrian pine. Surface hardness increases of water-based varnish coated Calabrian pine specimens were higher than polyurethane varnish coated Calabrian pine specimens. Impregnation resulted in higher surface roughness values of Calabrian pine specimens. Polyurethane varnish coated Calabrian pine specimens gave higher surface roughness than water-based varnish coated Calabrian pine specimens. The adhesion strength values of all treatment groups were decreased after weathering. In general, adhesion strength decreases of water-based varnish coated Calabrian pine specimens were higher than that of polyurethane varnish coated Calabrian pine specimens. The concentration levels of chemicals did not have a significant effect on surface roughness and adhesion strength of Calabrian pine wood after weatherin

SOME SURFACE PROPERTIES OF HEAT TREATED AND NATURAL WEATHERED ORIENTAL BEECH

ABSTRACT This study was performed to investigate some surface characteristics such as color, surface roughness and glossiness of heat treated Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.) wood specimens after natural weathering. Heat treatment of Oriental beech wood was carried out by hot air in an oven for 1, 4, and 8 h at 140, 170, and 200°C. Our results showed that heat treatment caused decrease in surface roughness and glossiness of Oriental beech. The decrease in L* of heat treated wood indicates that the specimens become darker. Heat treatment resulted in better surface roughness and glossiness compared to nonheated Oriental beech after natural weathering. According to our results, while heat treated Oriental beech wood specimens become lighter after natural weathering, non-heated wood become darken after natural weathering. The negative values of Δa* and Δb* indicate a tendency of wood surface to become greenish and bluish after natural weathering. Generally, higher temperature and duration of treatment resulted in better surface characteristics of Oriental beech after natural weathering

Mechanical Properties of Impregnated and Heat Treated Oriental Beech Wood

The main purpose of this study was to investigate mechanical properties such as the modulus of rupture (MOR) and compression strength parallel to grain (CSPG) of impregnated and heat-treated Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.) wood. Some copper and boron containing impregnation chemicals such as Wolmanit CX-8 (WCX-8) and Celcure AC-500 (CAC-500) were used. Wood specimens were impregnated 2\% aqueous solution of the chemicals according to ASTM D1413-07e1 standard. The wood specimens were heated at 150 and 175 degrees C for 4 and 8 h, respectively. Results showed that both impregnation and heat treatment decreased the MOR and CSPG of Oriental beech wood. The MOR losses of Oriental beech after both treatments were higher than CSPG losses. The largest reduction of MOR and CSPG were observed with 51.5\% and 15.5\% for CAC-500 impregnated and heated at 175 degrees C for 8 h. Except for WCX-8 impregnation and heat treatment at 150 degrees C for 4 and 8 h, the MOR values of impregnated and heat-treated Oriental beech wood were lower than only heat-treated Oriental beech wood. It was also found that the CSPG values of impregnated and heat-treated Oriental beech wood were higher than only heat-treated Oriental beech wood, except for impregnation and heat treatment at 175 degrees C for 8 h