How Bark Beetle Attack Changes the Tensile and Compressive Strength of Spruce Wood (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.)

Since 2014, forestry in the Czech Republic has been significantly affected by a bark beetle outbreak. The volume of infested trees has exceeded processing capacity and dead standing spruce (Picea abies) remain in the forest stands, even for several years. What should be done with this bark beetle wood? Is it necessary to harvest it in order to preserve the basic mechanical and physical properties? Is it possible to store it under standard conditions, or what happens to it when it is “stored” upright in the forest? These are issues that interested forest owners when wood prices were falling to a minimum (i.e., in 2018–2019) but also today, when the prices of quality wood in Central European conditions are rising sharply. To answer these questions, we found out how some of the mechanical properties of wood change in dead, bark beetle-infested trees. Five groups of spruce wood were harvested. Each of these groups was left upright in the forest for a specified period of time after bark beetle infestation, and one group was classified as a reference group (uninfested trees). Subsequently, we discovered what changes occurred in tensile and compressive strength depending on the time left in the stand and the distance from the center of the trunk. When selecting samples, we eliminated differences between individual trees using a CT scanning technique, which allowed us to separate samples, especially with different widths of annual rings and other variations that were not caused by bark beetle. The results showed the effect of log age and radial position in the trunk on tensile and compressive strength. The values for tensile strength in 3-year infested trees decreased compared to uninfested trees by 14% (from 93.815 MPa to 80.709 MPa); the values for compressive strength then decreased between the same samples by up to 25.6% (from 46.144 MPa to 34.318 MPa). A significant decrease in values for compressive strength was observed in the edges of the trunks, with 44.332 MPa measured in uninfested trees and only 29.750 MPa in 3-year infested trees (a decrease of 32.9%). The results suggest that the use of central timber from bark beetle-infested trees without the presence of moulds and fungi should not be problematic for construction purposes.

Postbuckling analysis of ultra-low rigidity serpentine structures

Serpentine structures are of growing interest due to its unique mechanical and physical properties for applications in stretchable electronics, mechanical sensing, biomedical devices. Mechanics-guided, deterministic three-dimensional (3D) assembly provide routes to form remarkable 3D structures, which in turn significantly improve its potential for applications. Therefore, an accurate postbuckling analysis is essential to the complex 3D serpentine structures with arbitrary geometry/material parameters. Here, simple, analytical expressions are obtained for the displacement and effective rigidity of serpentine structures during postbuckling. By tuning geometry parameters, the amplitude of assembled 3D serpentine structures can span a very broad range from zero to that of a straight ribbon. The analytical model can be used in design, fabrication, and application of versatile 3D serpentine structures to ensure their compatibility with the ultra-low rigidity biological tissues. A hierarchical 3D serpentine structure with ultra-low rigidity is presented to demonstrate the application of the analytical model.

A Review on Cellulose-based Materials for Biomedicine

There are various biomaterials in nature, but none fulfills all the requirements. Cellulose, eco-friendly material-based biopolymers, have been advanced biomedicine to satisfy most market demand and circumvent many ecological concerns. This review aims to present an overview of the state of the art in cellulose's knowledge and technical biomedical applications. It included an extensive bibliography of recent research findings for fundamental and applied investigations. The chemical structure of cellulose allows modifications and simple conjugation with several materials, including nanoparticles, without tedious efforts. Cellulose-based materials were used for biomedicine applications such as antibacterial agents, antifouling, wound healing, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and bone regeneration. They advanced the applications to be cheap, biocompatible, biodegradable, easy for shaping and processing into different forms, with suitable chemical, mechanical and physical properties.

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) composite mixed with Azadirachta excelsa (Sentang) tree waste flour: Mechanical and physical properties

This article presents the application of plantation waste materials (leaves, branches and trunks) of Azadirachta excelsa (Sentang) tree in order to evaluate and compare their suitability as reinforcement and filler for high density polyethylene (HDPE) thermoplastics. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of different types of Azadirachta excelsa (Sentang) trunks flour, branches flour and leaves flour fillers on the mechanical and physical properties of HDPE composite. The composite samples were produced using 25%, 35% and 45% by weight of flour filler loading and 2% coupling agent (maleic anhydride) using a twin-screw extruder, followed by injection molding process. The flexural modulus and tensile strength of the composite filled with trunk flour were not significantly different with the composite-filled branch flour. However, there is a significant difference between composite-filled leaf flour when compared to both composite-filled trunk flour and composite-filled branch flours. Overall, composite samples with trunk flour show better mechanical properties, while composite samples with lower filler loadings of 25% exhibit better dimensional stability compared to the other such as 35% and 45% filler loadings. The study also indicated that composite filled with leaf, branch and trunk flours had better mechanical strength than virgin HDPE.

The effect of adding natural wastes on some properties of gypsum: تأثير إضافة المخلفات الطبيعية على بعض خواص الجبس

In this research, the effect of adding some natural wastes to gypsum was studied in order to use them as thermal insulation materials in buildings and to recycle these wastes. Thermal insulation panels were installed from gypsum (as a basic material) and natural wastes (sawdust, peanut shells, wheat straw, cottonwood) at percentages (10, 15, 20) %, and some of their mechanical and physical properties, and their thermal conductivity were studied. The results indicated an improvement in some properties of gypsum after adding wastes, and obtaining thermal building materials that have better properties than the reference sample (gypsum) in some cases. Rough sawdust samples (SdR15, SdR20) achieved the highest compressive strength exceeding (4MPa). The flexural strength was for peanut shells samples (P10:1.76 MPa, P15:1.8 MPa), while the most efficient samples as thermal insulation were ground straw and smooth sawdust samples (SdS15, SdS20, GSt15, GSt20) where their thermal conductivity was (0.194-0.141W/m.K), which makes it acceptable according to the Syrian thermal insulation code.

The Spatial Orientation and Interaction of Cell Wall Polymers in Bamboo Revealed with a Combination of Imaging Polarized FTIR and Directional Chemical Removal

The mechanical and physical properties of lignocellulosic materials are closely related to the orientation and interaction of the polymers within cell walls. In this work, Imaging Polarized FTIR, combined with directional chemical removal, was applied to characterize the spatial orientation and interaction of cell wall polymers in bamboo fibers and parenchyma cells from two bamboo species. The results demonstrate the cellulose in bamboo fibers is nearly axially oriented whereas it is almost transversely arranged in parenchyma cells. Xylan and lignin are both preferentially oriented alongside cellulose, but with less orientation degre in the parenchyma cells. After lignin removal, the average orientation of xylan and cellulose is little affected, suggesting a strong interaction between cellulose and xylan. Meanwhile, the alkaline treatment significantly weakens the orientation of lignin in both fibers and parenchyma cells, and more significant for the latter, indicating the easy-degradable nature of lignin in parenchyma cells. And, it seemed the lignin and xylan in fibers were more difficult to be removed as compared to parenchyma cells, supporting the assumption that stronger interaction exists between lignin and xylan in the fibers. In a word, it was believed parenchyma cells are more suitable for biorefinery owing to its less ordered and relatively loose molecular assembly, as compared to fibers.

Effect of the Laser Surface Treatment on Properties of the Alloy (Ni-Cu-V) Nanoparticles Prepared by Powder Metallurgy Method

In this research, an alloy with a nanostructure was prepared using a metallurgical technique. To prepare an ideal alloy, three nanoscale powders were used (70 percent Ni, 25 percent Cu, and 5 percent V). The dried alloy was stored under 8 Tons of cold pressing at 80°C for 30 minutes. After that, a surface treatment of the prepared alloys with different laser energies (0, 200, 260, 300) mJ was carried out with a pulse time (10 seconds) at a distance of (100 cm). and hardness (Rockwell method) is studied. By immersing samples in a solution (3.5 percent NaCl) for different periods (3, 5, 7, 9, 11) days, the effect of laser surface treatment on the corrosion resistance of the alloy was investigated. Results show that porosity, water absorption ratio decreases after laser surface treatment with rising hardness values. Additionally, the wear resistance decreases as laser energy increases. Atomic force microscope images show that grain sizes increase as laser energy increases, and by increasing the laser energy, the surface of the nanoparticles is more homogeneous. Easy architecture and high nanostructure alloy consistency play a key role in improving the mechanical and physical properties.

Mechanical and Physical Properties of Recycled-Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polylactide Fused Deposition Modelling Filament

Carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic materials have attracted several applications, including the fused deposition modelling (FDM) process. As a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to its virgin counterpart, the use of milled recycled carbon fiber (rCF) has received much attention. The quality of the feed filament is important to avoid filament breakage and clogged nozzles during the FDM printing process. However, information about the effect of material parameters on the mechanical and physical properties of short rCF-reinforced FDM filament is still limited. This paper presents the effect of fiber loading (10 wt%, 20 wt%, and 30 wt%) and fiber size (63 µm, 75 µm, and 150 µm) on the filament’s tensile properties, surface roughness, microstructure, porosity level, density, and water absorptivity. The results show that the addition of 63 µm fibers at 10 wt% loading can enhance filament tensile properties with minimal surface roughness and porosity level. The addition of rCF increased the density and reduced the material’s water intake. This study also indicates a clear trade-off between the optimized properties. Hence, it is recommended that the optimization of rCF should consider the final application of the product. The findings of this study provide a new manufacturing strategy in utilizing milled rCF in potential 3D printing-based applications.

Novel Alkali-Activated Materials with Photocatalytic and Bactericidal Properties Based on Ceramic Tile Waste

Ceramics tile wastes (CWs) were mechanically conditioned for the preparation of alkali-activated hybrid-cements from CW (90 wt.%) and Portland cement (10 wt.%) mixtures using sodium silicate (SS) + NaOH as alkaline activators. Molar ratios of SiO2/Al2O3 (6.3 to 7.7) and Na2O/SiO2 (0.07 to 0.16) were used. The cements were prepared at room temperature (25 °C) and characterized by mechanical and physical properties and microstructure. The optimized cement was used for the preparation of novel photoactivated composite materials by incorporating 5 and 10 wt.% TiO2 (Ti) and ZnO (Z) nanoparticles, and its self-cleaning and bactericidal properties were evaluated by means of the degradation of rhodamine-B (Rh-B) and the growth inhibition of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. The results of this study showed that the 100SS-5Z and 50SS:50G-10Ti cements have an effective photocatalytic activity for Rh-B degradation of 98.4% and 76.4%, respectively, after 24 h. Additionally, the 100SS-5Z and 50SS:50G-10Ti cement pastes and their respective mortars were effective in inhibiting the growth of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterial strains, evidenced by the formation of bacterial inhibition halos around the sample discs. Finally, these results are novel, and open the possibility of using constructions and demolition tile waste in high proportions for the elaboration of new rendering mortar with innovative properties.