WOOD RESEARCH Volume 68, Number 2, 2023
Yiqing Qi, Yue Sun, Ziwen Zhou, Yi Huang, Jiaxi Li, and Guangyu Liu

Response surface optimization based on freeze-thaw cycle pretreatment of poplar wood dyeing effect

To improve the permeability of dye solution in wood, poplar was pretreated by freeze-thaw cycle. The effects of three parameters, such as freezing time, thawing time and circulation times on the dyeing effect of pretreated poplar were investigated by single factor method. On this basis, pretreatment conditions were optimized by response surface methodology. The optimum conditions of this treatment were freezing time of 11.9 h, thawing time of 7.2 h and two cycles. Under these conditions, the dye uptake and chromatic aberration of the treated wood were 25.77% and 21.14%, respectively, which were close to the theoretical predicted values. The results showed that freeze-thaw cycle pretreatment could effectively improve the permeability of poplar and enhance the dyeing effect of wood.

WOOD RESEARCH Volume 67, Number 5, 2022
Xinyi Wei, Fengwen Sun, and Jie Lin

Impregnation on poplar wood with vegetable oils: Effects on physical mechanical and dimensional stability properties

In this study, vegetable oils were selected to modify poplar with vacuum-pressure impregnation technology and the optimum progress was studied. The weight percent gain (WPG), modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), water uptake rate (WUR), volume swelling rate (VSR) and volume shrinkage rate (VSR’) were evaluated. The results showed that the dimensional stability, physical and mechanical properties of treated wood were significantly improved. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations revealed that castor oil was inserted into the interior of the wood through the pores. Vegetable oil modification (castor oil) decreased the intensities of hydroxyl, cellulose and hemicellulose specific peak in the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results showed that castor oil treatment decreased the intensities of hydroxyl, cellulose and hemicellulose specific peak. Ultimately, the optimum process of castor oil treatment was impregnation pressure 1.8 MPa, time 1.0 h and temperature 85°C based on the range and variance analysis.

WOOD RESEARCH Volume 67, Number 4, 2022
Kang Zhou, Zirui Ren, Chen Shuosun, and Bin Na

The study on glue-applying methods and hot-pressing technology of parallel strand lumber

Parallel strand lumber (PSL) was manufactured from the veneer strand cut from the poplar broken veneers of the plywood enterprises, by analyzing the influence of the size of veneer strands, the glue concentration and glue-applying time on the glue-absorbing amount of veneer strands, the influence of three different glue-applying was, hot-pressing time and temperature on the physical and mechanical properties of PSL was reviewed and the hot-pressing technology was optimized. The experiment results showed that the size of the veneer strands have not notable influence on the gluing-absorbing amount, and mainly affect the homogeneity and appearance quality of the product. The glue concentration is one main factor to affect the glue-absorbing amount of veneer strands and PF resin of 30% concentration was chosen. The glue-applying way is the main factor to affect the mechanical property of PSL. The hot-pressing time and temperature have significant influence on physical and mechanical properties of PSL. Comprehensively considering, the physical and mechanical properties and homogeneity of products are better using the veneer strands with 100 mm length, the glue-spraying way and hot-pressing technology with the time 35 min and the temperature of 150°C.

WOOD RESEARCH Volume 65, Number 6, 2020
Boháček Štefan, Pažitný Andrej, Halaj Michal, Balberčák Jozef, and Kuňa Vladimír

Freeze-thaw pretreatment of poplar sapwood dust

The paper is focused on the effect of freezing and cyclic freezing-thawing pretreatment of poplar sapwood (Populus alba L.). The experimental comparison was carried out by the sawdust fraction 0.7 mm as (a) water-saturated and (b) dry. Monosaccharide yields, as well as an amount of acetic acid, were measured after 6, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours of enzymatic hydrolysis with 15% load of the enzyme measured to total cellulose content. The influence of freezing rate on total yields was observed on equally prepared samples with different weights (31 g, 25 g, 62.5 g, 125 g, 250 g, 500 g, and 1000 g) by “cubic” tests. To increase the efficiency of pretreatment, a cyclic freezing-thawing experiment at temperatures -20°C and +25°C was performed. The results show that single freezing of grounded poplar sapwood impregnated by water or dry in its matter is not a sufficient pretreatment method, so cyclic freeze-thaw is needed to enhance the yield of monosaccharides. Analysis of cubic test showed that slower freezing process has a positive effect on enzyme accessibility.

WOOD RESEARCH Volume 65, Number 4, 2020
Hong Yun, Chuangshuang Hu, Jin Gu, Yilin Han, and Xiaojing Hu

Study on the permeation and fixation of ACQ-C in poplar

In this paper, the effects of atmospheric pressure, vacuum and vacuum pressure impregnation on the permeability of alkaline copper quat in poplar were studied, and the permeability and fixation of preservatives were improved by pretreatment of poplar. The results show that the volume loading of wood can be increased by about 60 – 150% after 30 min of vacuum treatment, so the vacuum method is a simple and efficient preservation treatment method. In addition, ethanol treatment, heat treatment and microwave treatment can increase the fixation rate of copper ions by 5 – 10%, but the fixation rate of copper ions dropped by 17.83% after NaOH treatment for the dissolution of partial hemicellulose.

WOOD RESEARCH Volume 65, Number 2, 2020
Bo-Han Xu, Ke Liu, and Abdelhamid Bouchaïr

Mechanical properties and set recovery of compressed poplar with glycerin pretreatment

In order to improve the mechanical properties of low-density wood, the densified wood was fabricated. Northeast China fast-growing poplar was firstly immersed in 50% glycerin for 24 h, and then compressed under 150°C to attain 60% compression ratio with different thermal modification time (0.5, 1, and 2 h). The set recovery, modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR) and hardness of compressed wood were tested to assess the influence of thermal modification time and wet/dry cycles on mechanical properties and set recovery of compressed poplar with glycerin pretreatment. It can be found that the thermal modification time of 1 h can be more appropriate, the first wet/dry cycle has a significant effect on mechanical properties and set recovery of compressed wood due to the dilution of glycerin during the soaking.

WOOD RESEARCH Volume 64, Number 3, 2019
Lifen Li, Liping Yu, Zhigang Wu, and Yingcheng Hu

Delignification of poplar wood with lactic acid-based deep eutectic solvents

A process for the delignification of poplar wood using lactic acid-based deep eutectic solvents (DESs) with different hydrogen bond acceptors (choline chloride, glycine) was studied. The effect of operational parameters on the yields of the pulps and the regenerated lignins, the chemical compositions of the pulps and the delignification extent was investigated with respect to several factors, such as the types of hydrogen bond acceptor, reaction temperature and time. The maximum delignification extent of approximately 90.4% was achieved with lactic acidcholine chloride DES at 120°C for 12 h, however only about 58.4% of lignin was removed with lactic acid-glycine DES under the same reaction condition. The structural characteristics of the pulps were subsequently investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and compared with original wood sample and microcrystalline cellulose.

WOOD RESEARCH Volume 64, Number 1, 2019
Liu Ming-Li, Li Chun-Feng, and Liu Yan-Long

Physical and mechanical properties of modified poplar wood by heat treatment and impregnation of sodium silicate solution

The objective of this study was to improve physical and mechanical properties of fast-growing Chinese white poplar wood (Populus tomentosa Carrière). To this purpose, the heat treatment and impregnation by sodium silicate solution were investigated. In experiments, four processes under four different conditions were applied on poplar wood samples: temperature treatment (T), solution treatment (J), first solution and then temperature treatment (J-T) and first temperature and then solution treatment (T-J). The results showed that all measured mechanical properties were improved under conditions of J process. The hardness, impact toughness, bending strength and modulus of elasticity were improved by 8.4%, 29.2%, 12.0% and 16.1%, respectively. Additionally, tested wood samples exhibited significant increasing of values some mechanical properties such as hardness (70.1%) and modulus of elasticity (80.4%) in comparison with values for untreated samples if treatment was conducted under J-T process conditions. Treated wood by this technology could be utilized as solid wood composite or material for flooring substrate.

WOOD RESEARCH Volume 66, Number 1, 2021
Donata Krutul, Jan Szadkowski, Andrzej Antczak, Michał Drożdżek, Andrzej Radomski, Stanisław Karpiński, and Janusz Zawadzki

The concentration of selected heavy metals in poplar wood biomass and liquid fraction obtained after high temperature pretreatment

The concentration of selected heavy metals: chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) in 5-year-old wood of Populus trichocarpa before and after steam explosion (SE) and liquid hot water (LHW) pretreatments was studied. The concentration of the above heavy metals in the liquid fraction obtained after pretreatments was also studied. The studied problem of heavy metals in lignocellulosic biomass is an interesting and important issue in the context of bioethanol production technology. An X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) was used to analyse the concentration of heavy metals. The change of concentration of the tested elements in wood biomass after pretreatment was small (except for iron). On the other hand, the average concentration of iron in wood biomass of a 5-year-old Populus trichocarpa, after SE and LHW with duration of the pretreatments 15 and 60 min, increased about 24-fold to 28-fold, comparing to its average concentration in native wood. During the pretreatment process, wood biomass absorbed the iron that at high temperatures passed from the pretreatment equipment to the solution. The average concentration of the elements under research in liquid fraction obtained during SE and LHW of wood biomass with duration of the pretreatments 15 and 60 min was at a low level.