The energetic fossil resources of the world have decreased drastically in recent decades, and the quick and efficient solution to replace them is to use renewable biomass resources. This category also includes vegetable biomass, and within it, sunflower seed shells have an important contribution. The present work aimed to analyze the pellets obtained from the husks of sunflower seeds, as lignocellulosic biomass resulting from the production of edible oil, and for comparison, some pellets from beech sawdust were used. The main physical properties (such as moisture content, density, coefficient of densification, etc.), mechanical properties (such as shear strength) and calorific properties (high and low calorific value, calorific density, volatile content and ash content) were determined and statistically analyzed. As the main element of comparison of these types of pellets, the pellets obtained from beech sawdust were used. For the comparison of the pellets obtained from the husks of sunflower seeds, especially to observe their differences compared to the torrefied pellets, charcoal was chosen. The conclusions highlighted the fact that sunflower seed husks are an important source of biomass that can be used to obtain lignocellulosic pellets, and the torrefied pellets obtained from these husks are comparable with the energetic value of charcoal.

This research aimed to evaluate the calorific characteristics of two biomasses from larch and oak sawdust in the form of native or torrefied pellets. Some calorific features of these two kinds of biomasses, such as ash content, higher and lower calorific values, calorific density and many others were highlighted, allowing for a comparison between oak and larch torrefied/not torrefied pellets. Installations and methods used for the process of torrefaction and for highlighting some of the calorific features were also evaluated. As a result of experiments, it was demonstrated that the larch and oak pellets were different in terms of density, but that after thermal treatment, the calorific values of both increased considerably. The investigations evidenced some increases in calorific value, up to 15.8%, for both the larch and oak sawdust/pellets. One of the main conclusions of this research was that, even though the role of biomass has diminished considerably in the last few decades, its role as a sustainable fuel remains relevant. Its use will become more widespread when the world’s population understands that fossil fuels are depletable and that they must be replaced by renewable fuels such as biomass.

This study systematically investigates the influence of 3D printing parameters on the surface morphology and coating performance of polylactic acid (PLA) substrates finished with traditional Chinese lacquer. PLA specimens were fabricated using fused deposition modeling (FDM) with varying print speeds, layer heights, and infill densities, followed by natural lacquer coating and controlled curing. Surface roughness, gloss, adhesion, and wear resistance were evaluated through standardized tests, while microstructural analysis using SEM revealed the interfacial morphology and film uniformity. Results indicate that layer height is the most dominant factor, exerting significant effects on all surface and coating properties. Increasing layer height led to higher surface roughness, which in turn reduced gloss due to enhanced diffuse scattering but improved adhesion and wear resistance through stronger mechanical interlocking. Print speed showed a secondary influence on adhesion, attributed to its effect on interlayer bonding and surface porosity, while infill density exhibited minimal influence except on wear resistance. The application of Chinese lacquer significantly reduced surface irregularities owing to its excellent self-leveling and gap-filling capabilities, producing smooth, durable, and well-adhered coatings. Overall, the study demonstrates that integrating traditional lacquer with modern FDM technology provides a sustainable and high-performance finishing solution for 3D-printed PLA, bridging cultural craftsmanship with advanced additive manufacturing for potential applications in decorative, protective, and eco-friendly products.

This study developed a waterborne UV-curable acrylic composite coating incorporated with carved lacquer powder and systematically investigated the effects of powder and deionized water content on its properties. The results showed that the carved lacquer powder content significantly influenced the optical, mechanical, and curing behaviors of the coating, while the water content had negligible impact. Specifically, increasing the powder content reduced lightness, enhanced red hue, and decreased gloss. An optimal comprehensive performance was achieved at 20% powder content, with adhesion reaching grade 5, flexibility of 10 mm, and impact resistance of 6 kg·cm. FTIR analysis confirmed that high powder content (≥20%) led to incomplete curing due to UV shielding. The coatings showed moderate resistance to water, acid, and saline environments but poor alkaline resistance due to the chemical instability of cinnabar. SEM revealed increased surface roughness at high powder loading (30%). More importantly, this work presents a sustainable approach to recycle carved lacquer waste and demonstrates a viable strategy for incorporating traditional cultural heritage materials into advanced functional coatings. The study demonstrates that carved lacquer powder can be effectively integrated into UV-curable coatings to achieve unique decorative effects, and a content of approximately 20% is recommended to achieve balanced properties.

As a result of the imbalances in the forestry market and the increased demand for wood products worldwide, the resource of branches resulting from the exploitation of a forest has attracted special attention from researchers, in order to use these secondary resources judiciously and obtain an added value superior to classic uses. In this context, the current research took into consideration the use of spruce branches to obtain panels with a transverse structure. The work methodology has focused on the process of obtaining panels with a transverse texture and on determining the physical–mechanical properties of the created panels. The results regarding the panel density (determined as a ratio between mass and volume of specimens) showed about 693 kg/m³, static bending resistance parallel to the face of 5.5 N/mm², resistance of adhesion of 5.6 N/mm², shear strength parallel to face of 4.1 N/mm², and screw pull-out resistance perpendicular to the face of 31.3 N/mm², highlighting that the properties were in accordance with the European standards and that the panels obtained were suitable for obtaining furniture products with a special aesthetic aspect. As a general conclusion of the research, it can be stated that spruce branches are a sustainable wood resource with great possibilities to add more value in the form of panels with a traverse texture.

As ergonomic and user-centered kitchen design gains importance, integrating built-in appliances such as refrigerators has become common in modern households. However, spatial misalignment and circulation conflicts often disrupt kitchen routines. This study introduces the BEHAVIOR model (Behavioral Embeddedness Evaluation for Appliance-Versatile Integrated Operation Routing), a multidimensional framework for evaluating the movement path adaptability of embedded refrigerators in integrated kitchen–dining environments. The model identifies eight behavioral dimensions: Body Clearance, Embedded Compatibility, Handling Logic, Accessibility, Visual Feedback, Interaction Conflict, Operating Time, and Routing Simplicity, from a user–space–product coordination perspective. Expert-based AHP weighting and user entropy methods were combined to construct adaptability scores across five kitchen layouts (L-shaped, U-shaped, single-line, G-shaped, and island). The findings indicate that Routing Simplicity and Accessibility are the core determinants of layout adaptability, while Operating Time and Body Space show layout-dependent variations. Interaction Conflict and Embedded Compatibility are significantly influenced by spatial compactness. This research identifies key behavioral bottlenecks in kitchen workflows and presents a scalable model for appliance–space compatibility analysis, contributing to behavioral product evaluation and highlighting the role of user dynamics in design decisions.