Wei Xiong^1,2, Dagang Li^1,*, Peixing Wei², Lin Wang², Qian Feng¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.5, pp. 2265-2278, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.025483

Abstract Poplar wood, which was used as the absorption material for the solar-driven interfacial evaporation, was treated for 3 days, 6 days and 9 days with the pectinase, and then was simulated for photothermal evaporation test at one standard solar radiation intensity (1 kW⋅m⁻²). The effects of pectinase treatment on cell passage and water migration capacity of poplars were analyzed by the mercury intrusion porosimetry, the scanning electron microscope and fractal theory. It was found that the pit membrane and the ray parenchyma cells of poplar wood were degraded and destroyed after pectinase treatment. Compared with the untreated poplar wood, the evaporation… More >

Xiaoqian Bi¹, Pengfei Guan¹, Ping Li^2,*, Yuan Zhang¹, Xingong Li¹, Yingfeng Zuo^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.5, pp. 2399-2415, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2023.026656

Abstract Sodium silicate modification can improve the overall performance of wood. The modification process has a great influence on the properties of modified wood. In this study, a new method was introduced to analyze the wood modification process, and the properties of modified wood were studied. Poplar wood was modified with sodium silicate by vacuum-pressure impregnation. After screening using single-factor experiments, an orthogonal experiment was carried out with solution concentration, impregnation time, impregnation pressure, and the cycle times as experimental factors. The modified poplar with the best properties was selected by fuzzy mathematics and characterized by SEM, FT-IR, XRD and TG.… More > Graphic Abstract

Dianen Liang¹, Zhenhao Ding¹, Qilin Yan¹, Redžo Hasanagić², Leila Fathi³, Zi Yang¹, Longhao Li¹, Jianbo Wang¹, Houhua Luo¹, Qian Wang¹, Demiao Chu^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.11, No.1, pp. 435-451, 2023, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.023214

Abstract This study aims to improve the value of fast-growing wood and extend the heat-treated wood utilization using inorganic calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) crystals via an in-situ synthesis method. CaCl₂ and Na₂CO₃ solutions with a concentration ratio of 1:1 were successively introduced into the thermally modified poplar wood obtained by steam heat treatment (HT) at 200°C for 1.5 and 3 h, resulting in the in-situ synthesis of CaCO₃ crystals inside the heat-treated wood. The filling effect was best at the concentration of 1.2 mol/L. CaCO₃ was uniformly distributed in the cell cavities of the heat-treated wood, and some of the crystals were… More > Graphic Abstract

Pengfei Guan¹, Ping Li², Yiqiang Wu¹, Xingong Li¹, Guangming Yuan¹, Yingfeng Zuo^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.9, pp. 2451-2463, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.020459

Abstract To enhance mechanical properties and improve flame retardancy and smoke suppression of fast-growing poplar wood in wood applications, the wood was impregnated and modified. An organic phenolic prepolymer and inorganic sodium silicate was used as contrasting impregnation modifiers and wood samples were impregnated by a bionic “respiration” method with alternating positive and negative pressure. The weight percentage gain, density increase ratio, mechanical properties (bending and compressive strength and hardness), and water absorption rate of inorganic and organic-impregnated modified poplar wood (IIMPW and OIMPW, respectively) were compared and these properties in IIMPW were found to be higher than those of OIMPW… More >