The Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology (JKWST) launched in 1973 as an official publication of the Korean Society of Wood Science and Technology has been served as a core of knowledges on wood science and technology.

Five different softwoods were used to investigate fast methods for predicting quantitative chemical information via near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. In biomass-related industries, fast collection of chemical information from a feedstock is needed. Prior to predicting quantitative information, a principal component analysis (PCA) using NIR spectra was conducted to evaluate the possibility of discriminating the softwoods. As a result of PCA, the five species were divided into three groups. This result indicated that the extractive compounds were key factors because the powder samples were separated by species having a similar extractive content. The partial least square (PLS) method was applied to develop a calibration model for predicting chemical composition. This model showed good performance in predicting the extractive and lignin content of all species. The calibration results of the extractive and lignin content for all species were indicated as R2 = 0.99. The cross-validation of the components for all species also showed an excellent value of R2 = 0.98 and 0.97, respectively. Based on our results, it was possible to suggest a useful tool for providing rapid information about wood used in the bioenergy and pulp production fields.

The Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology (JKWST) launched in 1973 as an official publication of the Korean Society of Wood Science and Technology has been served as a core of knowledges on wood science and technology.

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of large-scale heat treatment on Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) grown in South Korea. The process involved multiple stages, including pretreatment, boiling, steaming, heating, and cooling. Heat treatment successfully reduced the water content to below 3% and increased the specific gravity from 0.62 to 1.12, thereby enhancing dimensional stability and strength. Following an ultraviolet-accelerated weathering test, the heated Moso bamboo exhibited improved color stability (ΔE 5.84) compared to untreated bamboo (ΔE 9.92). Furthermore, the heat-treated bamboo demonstrated high resistance against wood-rot fungi (weight loss < 10%) and termites (weight loss approximately 2%). In contrast to small lab-scale drying processes, this study employed a pilot-scale kiln for mass production, resulting in large-sized Moso bamboo with enhanced properties. This study revealed that distinct results, including extractives and lignin-degraded compounds, persisted in heated Moso bamboo cells after the heat treatment. The overall improvement in deterioration resistance, achieved through heat treatment, significantly contributes to the durability and longevity of bamboo materials in outdoor settings, such as landscape facilities.

Paulownia tomentosa, a tree species that allows for efficient production of translucent wood, was selected as an experimental wood species in this study, and a two-step process of delignification and polymer impregnation was performed. For delignification, 2–4 mm thick specimens were immersed in peracetic acid for 8 h. The delignified-wood specimens were impregnated using epoxy, a commercial transparent polymer. To identify the characteristics of the resulting translucent wood, the transmittance and haze of each type of wood section (cross- and tangential) were measured, while bending strength was measured using a universal testing machine. The translucent wood varied in properties according to the wood section, and the total transmittance and haze were 88.0% and 78.5% for the tangential section and 91.3% and 96.2% for the cross-section, respectively. For the bending strength, untreated wood showed values of approximately 4613.5 MPa modulus of elasticity (MOE), while the epoxy impregnation to improve the strength of the wood had increased the MOE up to approximately 6089.9 MPa, respectively. A comparative analysis was performed in this study with respect to the substitution of balsa, which is used widely in the production of translucent wood. The results are anticipated to serve as baseline data for the functionalization of translucent wood.

The quantitative anatomical characteristics of Quercus variabilis virgin cork grown in Korea were observed by scanning electron microscopy and compared with Quercus suber reproduction cork from Portugal to obtain basic data for further utilization of domestic cork resources in Korean cork industries. Q. variabilis virgin cork showed a smaller growth ring width and higher latecork percentage than Q. suber reproduction cork. Q. variabilis showed a smaller proportion of cork cells and a higher proportion of lenticular channels than Q. suber, whereas sclereid and dark-brown zones were found only in Q. variabilis. The frequency of pentagonal cork cells in the transverse and radial sections was higher in the cork of Q. suber than in Q. variabilis. In the tangential section, Q. variabilis displayed a lower frequency of heptagonal cells and a higher frequency of pentagonal cells than Q. suber.Q. variabilis cork had a smaller cell width, lumen diameter, cell wall thickness, prism base edge and area, total cell volume, and solid volume of the cell wall than Q. suber cork. The fractional solid volume and number of cells per cm³ were higher in Q. variabilis than Q. suber.