Effective Stiffness of Fused Deposition Modeling Infill Lattice Patterns Made of PLA-Wood Material

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) uses lattice arrangements, known as infill, within the fabricated part. The mechanical properties of parts fabricated via FDM are dependent on these infill patterns, which make their study of great relevance. One of the advantages of FDM is the wide range of materials that can be employed using this technology. Among these, polylactic acid (PLA)-wood has been recently gaining attention as it has become commercially available. In this work, the stiffness of two different lattice structures fabricated from PLA-wood material using FDM are studied: hexagonal and star. Rectangular samples with four different infill densities made of PLA-wood material were fabricated via FDM. Samples were subjected to 3-point bending to characterize the effective stiffness and their sensitivity to shear deformation. Lattice beams proved to be more sensitive to shear deformations, as including the contribution of shear in the apparent stiffness of these arrangements leads to more accurate results. This was evaluated by comparing the effective Young’s modulus characterized from 3-point bending using equations with and without shear inclusion. A longer separation between supports yielded closer results between both models (~41% for the longest separation tested). The effective stiffness as a function of the infill density of both topologies showed similar trends. However, the maximum difference obtained at low densities was the hexagonal topology that was ~60% stiffer, while the lowest difference was obtained at higher densities (star topology being stiffer by ~20%). Results for stiffness of PLA-wood samples were scattered. This was attributed to the defects at the lattice element level inherent to the material employed in this study, confirmed via micro-characterization.

Analysis of Attributes that Become Consumer Preferences in Choosing Indonature Table Furniture Products

Ud. Indonature is a company engaged in furniture, especially coffee table located on the island of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. Furniture made of solid wood such as Teak and Trembesi wood. In recent years there has been a decrease in the company’s turnover therefore it takes product innovation to increase sales. With the need to develop coffee table furniture products more clearly, researchers decided to conduct research on Attribute Analysis that Becomes Consumer Preferences in Choosing Indonature Table Furniture Products. This study aims to find out and analyze the combination of attributes that become consumer preferences in purchasing Indonature coffee table products and to know and analyze the most important coffee table attributes for Indonature consumers. The problem formulation in this study is, firstly, what combination of attributes are the consumer preference in buying coffee table into nature products and the second is what are the most important attributes of coffee table products for indonature consumers. The results of conjoin analysis showed that the most preferred and most important combination according to consumers is made of trembesi wood material with arch form, has a natural wood finishing and rustic design.

Effect of Perforation Dyeing Technique on Color Difference, Colorfastness, and Basic Density of Living Red-Heart Chinese Fir

Red-heart Chinese fir is an excellent geographic provenance of Cunninghamia lanceolata, with high-value red heartwood. However, the formation of red heartwood is usually slow. To quickly cultivate red-heart Chinese fir, we studied perforation dyeing technology on living trees that were 7 years old and efficient in high-value red heartwood formation. Reactive dye (%), penetrant (%), KH2PO4 (%), and pH were selected as influencing factors, and an orthogonal test (L9(3)4) was used. The results showed that the total color difference between the experimental and CK groups ranged from 13.74 to 26.86 NBS, which was a significant visual perception (above 12 NBS). The total color difference before and after soaking in water for 6 h ranged from 2.30 to 5.12 NBS, which belonged to the detectable and identifiable value of the human eye (2~5 NBS). After the injection of the dye liquid, the wood basic density (WBD) was significantly affected after one year. After a comprehensive analysis of wood color difference, colorfastness, and WBD of the orthogonal test, the best dyeing process of juvenile red-heart Chinese fir was reactive dye: 0.8%, penetrant: 0.05%, KH2PO4: 0.3%, and pH: 3.5. The results of this study can provide a reference to improve the value of red-heart Chinese fir, a fast-cultivated, high-value decorative wood material.

Synthesis and properties of nanosized ZnO/wood composite

The aim of the study was to synthesise a ZnO/silver birch wood (Bétula péndula) nanocomposite and evaluate its physical and mechanical properties in comparison with an unmodified natural polymer.Using the sol-gel method, we synthesised almost spherical impurity-free zinc oxide nanoparticles with a predominant particle size of about 20 nm. Amorphous hydrated Zn(OH)2 was impregnated into the wood material at the gel formation stage. It resulted in the reaction of zinc hydroxide decomposition with the formation of ZnO nanoparticles in the wood as a nanoreactor.The hydrophobic properties of the surface of ZnO/silver birch wood nanocomposite improved significantly (the contact angle of wetting doubled). Its moisture and water resistance decreased (2-5 times and 30%, respectively). The nanocomposite also showed less swelling in the radial (8-10 times) and tangential (2.6-10 times) directions in comparison with natural wood.

Research on Powdered Activated Carbon Modification Using Chosen Chemical Methods

Activated carbon has many applications in the environment, cosmetology, medicine and industry. The surface of each activated carbon can be modified to obtain the desired adsorption properties. Chemical activation can greatly affect the adsorption efficiency, control activity and application of the activated carbon. The aim of the study was to modify the selected activated carbon by chemical and physical methods, while maintaining these parameters so that it could be used in medicine. Powdered activated carbons with higher mechanical strength, large specific surface area and large macro-, meso- and micropore volume were prepared using natural waste wood material. This was followed by the digestion process and the washing of activated carbon. The study results indicate a significant influence of the centrifugal washing of activated carbon on the changes in the ash content and methylene index in the final product.

Energy efficiency challenges in pulp and paper manufacturing: A tutorial review

The pulp and paper industry is highly energy-intensive. In mills that use chemical pulping, roughly half of the higher heating value of the cellulosic material used to manufacture the product typically is incinerated to generate steam and electricity that is needed to run the processes. Additional energy, much of it non-renewable, needs to be purchased. This review considers publications describing steps that pulp and paper facilities can take to operate more efficiently. Savings can be achieved, for instance, by minimizing unnecessary losses in exergy, which can be defined as the energy content relative to a standard ambient condition. Throughout the long series of unit operations comprising the conversion of wood material to sheets of paper, there are large opportunities to more closely approach a hypothetical ideal performance by following established best-practices.

Energy efficiency challenges in pulp and paper manufacturing: A tutorial review

The pulp and paper industry is highly energy-intensive. In mills that use chemical pulping, roughly half of the higher heating value of the cellulosic material used to manufacture the product typically is incinerated to generate steam and electricity that is needed to run the processes. Additional energy, much of it non-renewable, needs to be purchased. This review considers publications describing steps that pulp and paper facilities can take to operate more efficiently. Savings can be achieved, for instance, by minimizing unnecessary losses in exergy, which can be defined as the energy content relative to a standard ambient condition. Throughout the long series of unit operations comprising the conversion of wood material to sheets of paper, there are large opportunities to more closely approach a hypothetical ideal performance by following established best-practices.

Analisa Perhitungan Dimensi Turap Kayu (Panjang Kayu Ditanam Dan Tebal) Sebagai Dinding Penahan Tanah Sementara

At this time, the development of retaining structures continues to be optimized according to the available land use, to deal with current and future landslides. The structure of the retaining wall (Turap) is expected to provide a solution for the handling. Based on the type of material used, several types of sheet pile are known, namely; wood sheet pile, concrete sheet pile and steel sheet pile, and based on the type of construction there are two types, namely; cantilever type and anchor type. Sheet pile made of wood, the function of this material is to retain the soil which is not so high. This is because the wood material will not be able to withstand excessive soil or gravel loads. In a handling, knowing the function or planning for handling avalanches is very important, because by knowing the purpose and function of the plan, it can be easier in the design and planning process. Calculations for the quality and efficiency of handling can be achieved as desired. The purpose of this study was to analyze the planning calculation of the dimensions of the temporary wood sheet pile (length of planted wood and thickness) as a soil barrier that was built to prevent landslides caused by the intensity of rain. From the results of the research that has been carried out, the planning of wooden sheet piles with a width of 1 meter and 2 meters as retaining walls and for soil volume ranges from 20 KN/M3-30 KN/M3 while the height of sheet piles is 1 meter - 4 meters. It was found that the length of the sheet pile planted did not affect changes in the volume of the soil while the thickness of the wood did.