The use of wood-derived fillers by the thermoplastic industry has been growing, fueled in part by the use of wood-fiber– thermoplastic composites by the construction industry. As a result, the durability of wood-fiber–thermoplastic composites after ultraviolet exposure has become a concern. Samples of 100% high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and HDPE filled with 50% woodflour (WF) were weathered i...

Choosing the finish covering for the exterior walls of a home is an important decision. The choice of siding has a direct influence on appearance, performance, durability, repair, maintenance, and cost. Today’s marketplace presents designers, builders, and homeowners with a long list of materials and products tochoose from. Ithasbeenestimated inat least one investigation that the existing varie...

Wood of three species of Viviania from Chile was studied. The wood has growth rings, moderately grouped vessels, helical sculpture in vessels, fiber-tracheids with small pits, and various degrees of storying. Axial parenchyma and rays are absent, regardless of age of stem. These facts are in accord with close relationship to other genera of Geraniaceae s.l. Viviania differs from other Geraniace...

Results from an experimental investigation on the compression behavior of balsa wood are presented. Specimens with varying densities, ranging from 55 to 380 kg/m, are loaded in the grain (fiber, cell) direction using a screw-driven material testing system at a strain rate of 10 s. The results indicate that compressive strength of balsa wood increases with increasing density. Post-test scanning ...

Lignification of wood fibers has important consequences to the paper production, but its exact effects are not well understood. To correlate exact levels of lignin in wood fibers to their mechanical properties, lignin autofluorescence is imaged in wood fiber cross-sections. Highly lignified areas can be detected and related to the area of the whole cell wall. Presently these measurements are pe...

Ultrasonic energy was applied to assist the wood vacuum drying process. At a drying temperature of 60°C, the absolute pressure was either 0.05 MPa or 0.08 MPa; the ultrasonic power and frequency were 100 W and 28 kHz, respectively. The results showed that the effective water diffusivity of the specimens dried by the ultrasonic assisted vacuum drying at 0.05 MPa or 0.08 MPa were higher than that...

Quantitative and qualitative features are presented for 13 collections of 8 species of Ascarina. Wood anatomy is maximally primitive in most respects; moderate exception occurs in the imperforate tracheary elements, which range from tracheidlike (A. solmsiana) to fiber-tracheids (septate in two species). Perforation plates are scalariform, average more than 100 bars per plate, and have bordered...

The aim of this paper is to develop a strategic plan for selecting the best options for the supply of raw material to feed paper producing plants. The decision-making is examined within the framework of benefits, opportunities, costs, and risks (BOCR). A hierarchy is used to prioritize the BOCR, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) ratings approach. A control hierarchy is then created and...