Hardwood trade in selected countries of eastern europe

This study focuses on trade of hardwood products in selected countries of Eastern Europe, specifically the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary. It was supported by a survey conducted with companies producing products made of hardwoods. It monitors trade trends in the wood products industry, specifically focusing on lumber, wooden veneers, furniture production, musical instruments, and wooden accessories. It also addresses the current and potential import and use of the US hardwood lumber in these countries. The study is also pointing out the shortcomings of the monitored markets. The online questionnaire and follow-up phone calls were used to obtain information from companies in countries of interest. Results showed that 83.3% of Czech respondents already use imported hardwoods in their production, followed by Hungary (69.2%) and Slovakia (54.6%). Despite the relatively high values of imported hardwood products, the overall results show that there is only a small potential for an increase in import of the US hardwoods in the wood products industry in chosen countries. The utilization of tropical hardwood species will continue because of their superior properties for specialized products such as musical instruments. Results also point out the grooving importance of certified hardwoods, their utilization, and trade.

Internal fiberglass mesh reinforced bark-based panels

One-layer bark panels were internally reinforced with two different grid sizes fiberglass mesh sheets (M1 and M2). The thermal conductivity, water absorption, thickness swelling, static bending properties and internal bond strength of these panels were tested. The reinforcement doesn’t affect the thermal conductivity, but the physical and mechanical properties of the panel were improved. The thickness swelling was reduced by 7.43% and 12.93%; the water uptake decreased by 4.93% and 16.32% for the M1 and M2 sheets, respectively. MOR increased from 0.54 MPa to 2.44 and 2.1 MPa, and MOE increased from 0.28 GPa to 0.66 and 0.63 GPa, respectively. The internal bond didn’t change. The findings indicate that it is possible to produce internal reinforced bark panels for insulation materials depending on the characteristics and tensile properties of the reinforcing materials, as well as the adhesion properties and interfacial interaction of the composite materials.