The Effect of Chemical Changes during Heat Treatment on the Color and Mechanical Properties of Fir Wood

Chemical composition and morphological properties of Norway spruce wood and bark were evaluated. The extractives, cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin contents were determined by wet chemistry methods. The dimensional characteristics of the fibers (length and width) were measured by Fiber Tester. The results of the chemical analysis of wood and bark show the differences between the trunk and top part, as well as in the different heights of the trunk and in the cross section of the trunk. The biggest changes were noticed between bark trunk and bark top. The bark top contains 10% more of extractives and 9.5% less of lignin. Fiber length and width depends on the part of the tree, while the average of these properties are larger depending on height. Both wood and bark from the trunk contains a higher content of fines (fibers 0.5 mm) compared to the top. During storage, it reached a decrease of extractives mainly in bark. Wood from the trunk retained very good durability in terms of chemical composition during the storage. In view of the morphological characteristics, it occurred to decrease both average fibers length and width in wood and bark.

Biobutanol is a renewable, less polluting, and potentially viable alternative fuel to conventional gasoline. Biobutanol can be produced from same sources as bioethanol, and it has many advantages over the widespread bioethanol. This paper systematically analyzes biobutanol fuel as an alternative to bioethanol in alcohol–gasoline mixtures and the physicochemical properties. Based on the conducted analyses, it was found that biobutanol mixtures have a more suitable behavior of vapor pressure without the occurrence of azeotrope, do not form a separate phase in lower temperature, it has higher energy density, but slightly reduce the octane number and a have higher viscosity. However, in general, biobutanol has many advantageous properties that could allow its use in gasoline engines instead of the commonly used bioethanol.

The bonding of wood with assembly adhesives is crucial for manufacturing wood composites, such as solid wood panels, glulam, furniture parts, and sport and musical instruments. This work investigates 13 hardwoods—bangkirai, beech, black locust, bubinga, ipé, iroko, maçaranduba, meranti, oak, palisander, sapelli, wengé and zebrano—and analyzes the impact of their selected structural and physical characteristics (e.g., the density, cold water extract, pH value, roughness, and wettability) on the adhesion strength with the polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) adhesive Multibond SK8. The adhesion strength of the bonded hardwoods, determined by the standard EN 205, ranged in the dry state from 9.5 MPa to 17.2 MPa, from 0.6 MPa to 2.6 MPa in the wet state, and from 8.5 MPa to 19.2 MPa in the reconditioned state. The adhesion strength in the dry state of the bonded hardwoods was not influenced by their cold water extracts, pH values, or roughness parallel with the grain. On the contrary, the adhesion strength was significantly with positive tendency influenced by their higher densities, lower roughness parameters perpendicular to the grain, and lower water contact angles.

There is a global need to increase the production of alternative sources of energy due to many issues related to conventional sources, such as environmental degradation or energy security. In this paper, decentralized liquefied natural gas production is analyzed. Liquefied natural gas, according to the analysis, can be considered a viable alternative even for decentralized applications Design and economic analysis of a small-scale biogas LNG plan together with the necessary technology and economic evaluation are presented in the paper. The results show that a project of the proposed size (EUR 3 million) offers a relatively good profitability level. Specifically, the net present value of the project is mostly positive (around EUR 0.1 million up to EUR 0.8 million). Therefore, based on the research, small LNG plants operating across the continent can be recommended for the processing of local sources of biogas.

Fungi play a critical role in the decomposition of wood and wood-based products in use. The ability of decaying fungi to cause degradation of polysaccharides and lignin in the thermally modified Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) wood was examined with pure culture decomposition tests in laboratory conditions using the brown-rot fungus Serpula lacrymans (Schumacher ex Fries) S.F. Gray and white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor (Linnaeus ex Fries) Pilat. Spruce wood samples were primary thermally treated under atmospheric pressure at the temperatures of 100, 150, 200, 220, 240 and 260 °C during 1, 3 and 5 h, whereby larger losses in their mass, holocellulose, mannose and xylose were achieved at harder thermal regimes. Meanwhile, the holocellulose percent content reduced considerably, and the percent content of lignin increased sharply. Spruce wood thermally modified at and above 200 °C better resisted to brown-rot fungus S. lacrymans than the white-rot fungus T. versicolor. Due to the decay processes, the mass fractions of holocellulose, cellulose and hemicelluloses were lower in those spruce wood samples in which thermal degradation was more intensive, with achieving the highest mass loss values after thermal treatments, after which the decay attacks were poorer or even none with the minimal mass loss values due to action by the brown-rot fungus S. lacrymans and the white-rot fungus T. versicolor. The mannose and glucose percent content in thermally–fungally attacked spruce wood was intensive reduced, e.g., by 17% to 98% in wood after thermal treatments at temperature equal and above 200 °C.