Particleboard, engineered wood products as part of a large family of wood composite materials, developed in use mainly in the 1950s and 1960s to utilize inferior wood and wood waste when good-quality wood was in short supply; the annual production capacity worldwide is over 100 million m³. It is also necessary to have a lot of wood raw material for its production, although raw material resources are limited on our planet. In addition to the main wood species, it is therefore possible to think about the wider use of alternative, lesser-known European species of alder, larch, and birch in particleboard production. These three wood species represent an eco-friendly and sustainable wood alternative to the conventional wood raw materials used. This review confirms the diversity of the use of these three species in different fields and proves their suitability in relation to particleboard production. Fundamental research is ongoing in certain universities to determine the proportional shares of use of these tree species in particleboard (in a certain weight proportion in their core layers) for the purpose of formulating the correct technology shares and rules for their application in the wood-based panel industry.

In the present study, the flow fields generated by a synthetic jet (SJ) were investigated with particle image velocimetry (PIV). The SJ time-averaged parameters, such as velocity, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and vorticity, were compared by using the Reynolds number ($Re=5000$) and dimensionless stroke length ($L_0=2;10$). Three different orifice shapes with the same equivalent diameter were used: circle, square, and slot. The flow fields of the investigated parameters were presented and discussed at a distance from the orifice $x/d\le 10$, and the difference in radial and axial profiles were compared. The impact of the orifice shape and dimensionless stroke length on the investigated parameters was discussed.

This study is focused on testing the ballistic resistance of composite materials to define their limit thicknesses according to the US STANDARD NIJ 0101.06, level III. The materials Twaron CT 747, Twaron CT 747 TH110 and Endumax Shield XF33, which are widely used in the manufacture of the ballistic protection systems, were tested. A method known as the Taylor Anvil Test (TAT) was used to verify their ballistic resistance. The missile 7.62 mm M80 was used to test the ballistic resistance of these materials. Within the experimental part, the deformation processes of composite materials were examined after impact by this missile. The value of the traumatic effect according to the US STANDARD NIJ 0101.06 was also measured. The results of the experiment provide an idea of the ballistic resistance of selected materials. Based on the results, TAT proved to be the perspective measurement method for further development and optimalization of the multilayer composite armor.

The Male and Cockroft ring compression test is one of the methods used to determine the coefficient of friction in forming. This method can be used to determine the coefficient of friction without the need to measure the force. This paper describes the results of the Male and Cockroft ring compression test for the Hardox 450 material at different strain rates without lubricant. The experiment was performed on ZD40 hydraulic press and CFA-80 pneumatic die hammer at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Brno University of Technology. The test results were recorded in a calibration diagram. The results show that the strain rate has a significant effect on the coefficient of friction, specifically such that as the strain rate increases, the coefficient of friction decreases.

Spruce wood is one of the most widely used materials in the production of lightweight wood-based composites in central Europe. The quality, weight, and geometric parameters of wood chips have a significant impact on the resulting quality of the manufactured composite product. Numerical simulations are necessary for advanced optimization of the quality of composite components and the manufacturing process itself. These simulations require adequate input material data and a model to produce results applicable to the output of industrial practice. In this study, a material model for spruce wood was established using the Taylor anvil test (TAT). This, in contrast to the commonly used Hopkinson compression test, corresponds better to the actual loading process. A new measurement method for shock pulses was developed to implement TAT obtained data for a realistic material model. The method was compared with numerical simulations in Ansys LS DYNA. Based on the results, parameters for the Johnson-Cook equation were determined, which can be applied in the production of disintegrations and, consequently, in the dynamic loading of spruce composite materials.