About the Journal

This journal is covered by Thomson Reuters Materials Science Citation Index ExpandedTM,CAB Internacional Abstracting Services and Scopus.

Wood Research publishes original papers aimed at recent advances in all branches of wood science (biology, chemistry, wood physics and mechanics, mechanical and chemical processing etc.). Submission of the manuscript implies that it has not been published before and it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.

e-ISSN 2729-8906
ISSN 1336-4561

WoodResearch in Numbers

68
Years of Publication
5588
Number of Papers
373
Number of Authors Origin

Latest Articles

PREPARATION OF ECO-FRIENDLY COMPOSITE PAPER WITH GINKGO LEAF AND BIO-BASED FIBERS

Ginkgo leaf was treated with deep eutectic solvents and then mixed with bio-based fibers, willow catkins or kapok fibers as reinforcing materials to prepare ginkgo leaf composite paper. The effects of the papermaking process conditions and the proportion of ginkgo leaf on the properties of the composite paper were studied. The results showed that the properties of the composite paper were better when the proportion of ginkgo leaf was within the range of 70-90%, with a smooth surface, high strength, and flexibility, which can meet the needs of daily packaging. The higher the proportion of ginkgo leaf, the better the anti-ultraviolet property and the higher the strength. When the proportion of willow catkins or kapok fibers was higher, the water resistance and flexibility were better. Among them, when the proportion of ginkgo leaf was 90%, the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) could reach 128, showing excellent anti-ultraviolet property. When the proportion of ginkgo leaf was 70%, the water contact angle to composite paper was 144.2°, indicating water resistance

PULPING AND PAPERMAKING POTENTIAL OF ACACIA AULACOCARPA BENTH WOOD IN INDONESIA

In this study, samples from 27-year-old Acacia aulacocarpa grown on a plantation were examined to determine suitable kraft pulping conditions and properties for paper production. The results showed that A. aulacocarpa had a high basic density of 0.65 g/cm3 and a short fiber length of 0.84 mm. The derived values for Runkel, slenderness, and flexibility ratios were 1.02, 53.01, and 0.48, respectively. Five different active alkali concentrations ranging from 14% to 22%, with intervals of 2% were applied for kraft cooking. The percentages of reject, kappa number, and residual active alkali of black liquor were negatively related to the charge applied in pulping runs. Pulping with 18% active alkali content obtained a screened yield of 51.4% at a kappa number of 34.1. The 20% active alkali cook had the highest mechanical properties of the handsheets. The burst and tear indices met the Indonesian National Standard for leaf (hardwood) bleached kraft

EFFECT OF ALKALINE TREATMENT ON MORPHOLOGY AND BIODEGRADATION OF BAGASSE AND MAIZE CELLULOSE

This study investigates the biodegradation behaviour of cellulose extracted from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) and maize using chemical treatments involving sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium chlorite, and buffer solutions (NaOH and glacial acetic acid). The extraction process yielded cellulose at 38.00% from SCB and 45.14% from maize, based on the weight of the raw material. The resulting celluloses were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), confirming their structural and chemical integrity. Biodegradability was evaluated through composting tests, revealing weight losses of 9.08% for SCB cellulose and 29.47% for maize cellulose. The higher degradation rate of maize-derived cellulose suggests enhanced biodegradability

THE EFFECT OF UV ABSORBERS ON THE LIGHTFASTNESS OF DYED VENEERS

To address the problems of fading, surface yellowing and breakage of dyed veneers under prolonged sunlight, this paper uses ash veneers as raw material and new coccine as dye to investigate the effects of bleaching pretreatment, different concentrations (0.5%, 1% and 1.5%) and types of UV absorbers (benzotriazole, TiO2, nano-TiO2) on the color difference value △E of the dyed veneers in the process of aging by natural light and aging by artificial light. The effect of UV absorbers on the color difference △E of dyed veneers during natural light aging and artificial light aging was clarified. The experimental results show that under the natural light condition, the bleached dyed veneer with 0.5% benzotriazole has the lowest △E value, which is about 1.3, and under the artificial UV irradiation condition, the bleached dyed veneer with 1% TiO2 has the smallest △E value, which is about 0.4

STUDY ON THE HYDROTHERMAL TREATMENT OF KILN-DRIED TIMBER OF RED ALDER

This study used red alder (Alnus rubra f. pinnatisecta) and applied humidity control during storage to shorten the health cycle and enhance preservation effects. Orthogonal testing was conducted to assess the impact of humidity control on drying quality and identify optimal conditions. The results showed that: 1) Post-humidity control, most materials exhibited high surface and low core moisture distribution. Surface moisture difference before and after treatment was largest and negatively correlated with moisture increase. Higher temperatures reduced differences at the same treatment duration. 2) Reasonable humidity control significantly improved drying quality: surface moisture remained stable, elastic and mechanical adsorption creep strains decreased, and residual stress was reduced by up to 59.5% after 7 days of humidity and curing compared to room temperature curing. 3) Moisture treatment initially reduced residual stress significantly then rebounded slightly, with stress elimination efficiency generally higher than room temperature. This indicates that humidity control shortens wood storage and curing cycles. 4) Orthogonal test results identified optimal humidity control conditions as 70°C, 85% relative humidity, and 48 h treatment

EFFECT OF SUPERCRITICAL CO2 DEHYDRATION TREATMENT ON THE JUGLANS MANDSHURICA

Conventional kiln drying (CKD) has a long drying period and is easy to cause drying defects. Supercritical CO2 dehydration (SCD) can quickly dehydrate water-saturated wood to above the fiber saturation point without damaging the microstructure and avoiding drying defects. In this study, Juglans mandshurica was treated by SCD to 40% moisture content, then was oven-dried. CKD specimens were used as a control to investigate the effect of SCD treatment on the wood properties of Juglans mandshurica. In the moisture absorption test, the equilibrium moisture content of the SCD and CKD samples was found to be 8.95% and 8.66%, respectively.The final tangential and radial swelling of the SCD samples were 2.5% and 2.03%, respectively, which were 0.1% and 0.24% larger than those of the CKD samples. In the water uptake test, the equilibrium moisture content of SCD and CKD samples was found to be 104.79% and 117.71%, respectively. The final tangential and radial swellings of SCD specimens were 9.38% and 4.6%, which were 2.35% and 1.16% larger than those of CKD specimens. Also, it was confirmed that the extraction content of SCD specimen was reduced, the chemical composition was unchanged, and the open diameter of the pits was about 1.35 μm at 20 MPa/60°C

CHEMICAL CHANGES DURING WOOD CUTTING

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and poplar (Populus euramericana) species were chosen for the experiments.Sawdust was made by a circular saw with a rare tooth spacing for producing bigger particles beside the fine fractions. Particles were separated by a vibration separator with the sieve sizes 1 mm, 0.63mm, 0.315 mm, 0.1 mm and 0.063 mm. Infrared reflectance spectra of the particles were measured to determine the chemical changes generated by the cutting procedure.The experimental results showed that the grinding of wood resulted in bond rupture for all ether bond types appearing in the infrared spectrum. The number of conjugated and unconjugated carbonyl groups in the wood was significantly reduced during the cutting procedure. After bond breaks, oxidation and recombination processes occurred generating compounds similar to the aromatic structure of lignin, which were shown by increases in absorption at 1514, 1271 and 1231 cm-1

Short notes. INFLUENCE OF WOOD ANATOMY ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF GUANIDINE BASED FIRE RETARDANTS IN FIVE FAST GROWING JAPANESE HARDWOODS

This study investigates the influence of wood anatomy on the distribution of fire retardant chemicals in five fast-growing Japanese hardwood species (Melia azedarach, Toona sinensis, Choerospondias axillaris, Alnus japonica, and Liriodendron tulipifera). Given Japan’s increasing demand for sustainable and locally sourced materials, fire retardant treatments are critical for enhancing fire resistance in fast-growing hardwoods used for construction. Using low vacuum scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we examined the distribution of fire retardants in cross-section, radial section, and tangential sections, comparing the effectiveness in ring-porous versus diffuse-porous species. Results revealed that diffuse-porous species (Alnus japonica and Liriodendron tulipifera) retained higher levels of fire retardants with a more even distribution. In contrast, ring-porous species (Melia azedarach, Toona sinensis, Choerospondias axillaris) showed the highest chemical concentration at the edges.

INNOVATIVE CELLULOSE ADSORBER TO INCREASE TREE PROTECTION AGAINST HARMFUL EFFECTS OF ROAD DE-ICING SALT

The study examines the adsorption capacity of compressed cellulose fibres in cylindrical pellets intended for protecting plants and soils from road salt. The innovative adsorbers use short-fibre cellulose waste, which is unsuitable for recycling and is compressed under pressure ranging from 0.1 to 12.0 MPa. Various cylindrical adsorbers were tested and characterised using the Evaporation surface coefficient (ESC). The most efficient absorber with a diameter of 19 mm and a length of 26 mm at a humidity of 6.76% adsorbed brine to 87%. Cellulose adsorbers outperformed previously described Salix viminalis willow chips in de-icing salt capture efficiency (Spisak et al. 2020)

EFFECTS OF HOLE PERFORATION AND SURFACE CUTTING ON WOOD ELASTICITY USING ULTRASONIC AND VIBRATION METHODS

This study analyzed how hole perforation and surface cutting affect ultrasonic wave propagation velocity and resonant frequency in wood. While non-destructive evaluation techniques for wood elasticity are well-established, the specific influence of defects like holes and orthogonal cuts on wave behavior remains underexplored. This study aimed to fill this gap by assessing how these defects influence wave behavior and providing new insights into their impact on wood’s mechanical properties. Four softwood species and seven hardwood species were analyzed. In hardwood specimens, ultrasonic propagation velocity and resonant frequency were measured under increasing levels of hole perforation (9, 27, and 45 holes). In contrast, the effects of one and two orthogonal surface cuts were examined in softwood specimens. The results revealed that the ultrasonic propagation velocity decreased noticeably with an increasing number of holes. Meanwhile, resonant frequency exhibited only a slight decrease. In contrast, softwoods displayed minimal changes in ultrasonic velocity but notable reductions in resonant frequency due to surface cutting. This study highlights the differences in continuous wave propagation pathways associated with the two defect types and estimation methods, offering novel insights into wood evaluation techniques