Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2006. / Thesis documentation sheet inserted. Appendix reprints four papers and manuscripts, two co-authored with others. Includes bibliographical references. Also issued electronically via World Wide Web in PDF format; online version lacks appendix.

Thesis (M.S. in civil engineering)--Washington State University, December 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Mar. 2, 2009). "Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering." Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Oregon State University, 2008. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-120). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Previous research on coarse woody debris (CWD) indicated that moisture content and initial heterotrophic colonization of decaying wood can affect the decomposition process. Six heterotrophic treatments were created to simulate the effects of physical penetration of the bark and wood and the transmission of ascomycetes versus basidiomycetes into CWD. In 1995, 360 Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) were randomly placed at five replicate sites in old-growth stands. Each site had 6 heterotrophic (HET) x 2 moisture combinations (TENT). One set of logs representing the treatment combinations was used for sampling respiration and another set was used to measure volume affected by insect gallery excavations and fungal rot and to determine decay rates. Respiration was sampled three times during the summer of 2001. The results indicated that the HET treatments were no longer affecting respiration rates. Analysis of the average of the three sampling periods revealed no TENT effect but examinations of the individual sampling dates suggests that tented logs might have higher respiration rates than non-tented logs as summer progresses. In the aggregate, the TENT treatment reduced moisture content from 45% to 36%, a 20 percent reduction in moisture levels. The HET and the TENT treatments did not affect decay rates. The mean density change for the logs was -0.072 g/cm�� �� 0.03 and the mean decay constant was 0.026 �� 0.011. The TENT treatment did affect heterotrophic activity. The mean volume of wood borer excavation and extent of brown rot was higher in the tented logs (256 cm��) than in the non-tented logs (59.9 cm��). There was also a statistically significant interaction between the HET and TENT treatments. The largest differences in volume affected by wood borers and fungal rot were found in treatments that injected ascomycetes into the experimental logs. In sum, there was limited evidence that the differences in moisture content caused by the TENT treatment affected the decomposition process but the HET treatments appear to not be directly influencing decomposition after six years. The findings suggest differences in the initial community composition of heterotrophs have a decreasing impact on the decomposition process as it progresses. / Graduation date: 2004

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 138 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis is a study of the kiln drying of radiata pine with a primary focus on the change in wood colour that occurs during this process. The energy efficiency of the drying process has also been examined using computer modelling. The aim of this work was to develop guidelines for commercial wood dryers who wish to produce high quality appearance grade timber in a competitive commercial environment. The colour change in radiata pine wood during kiln drying is mainly caused by sap compounds accumulating at the wood surface and reacting to form coloured compounds. The initial research involved drying experiments designed to determine the relationship between this colour change and the kiln schedule and also measure the accumulation of colour forming compounds. The kinetics of the colour change reaction were also measured using two methods, one in-vitro and the other using small samples of wood. From these experiments a colour change equation was developed that predicts the rate of colour formation based on the drying conditions and this was incorporated into a kiln stack model along with an energy efficiency model. The combined model was used to simulate the drying process to find schedules optimised for energy use and wood quality. The model was also used to simulate the energy efficiency of different humidity control configurations for wood drying kilns. A kiln micro-sensor system was also developed for use in kiln diagnostics and control with the particular aim of identifying areas in wood drying kilns with adverse drying conditions. The recommendation to kiln operators wishing to reduce colour change is to not exceed 70? and to use lower relative humidity schedules with a wet bulb depression of 15-20?. Operating at lower humidity can increase the energy used by the kiln so it is also recommended that kiln designers incorporate heat recovery into the humidity control mechanisms of the kiln.

Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-66). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

Lignocellulosic ethanol production currently uses expensive and harsh methods to extract wood sugars from small-diameter hardwood trees that otherwise would have little or no marketability. A byproduct that adds no value to the conversion process results, thus alternative methods are needed to make this fuel source cost-effective. This dissertation proposes only partially hydrolyzing southern hardwoods, extracting some polysaccharides for ethanol fermentation while leaving behind a modified wood material which could be used as furnish for manufacturing strand-based wood composites. Three treating solutions, 1% sulfuric acid, water, and 1% sodium hydroxide, along with untreated controls, were utilized in a partial hydrolysis at 150°C for 30 minutes. The treatments’ effects were measured by testing the mechanical, physical, surface, and durability properties of red oak, sweetgum, and yellow-poplar miniature beams (3 mm x 15 mm x 150 mm, t x r x l). These properties were then correlated to the polysaccharide content of the modified woods following treatment. All treatments provided a significant mass loss, with sweetgum’s mass loss being significantly greater than the other species. The initial effect of the partial hydrolysis on modulus of elasticity (MOE) showed water reduced MOE the least for each species. Sweetgum produced a higher reduction in MOE in all three solutions. Specific modulus was calculated to eliminate the density effect between the treatment combinations for measuring bending properties at oven-dry conditions. Sweetgum produced a lower SM in all treatments, and only the water treatment consistently reduced SM across all species. Wettablility was measured by dynamic contact angle analysis via the Wilhelmy plate technique in four probe liquids. Surface energies were then calculated by the geometric mean procedure. Acid and water treatments improved the wettability for all species. Alkaline treatment effects were species-specific. All treatments improved the surface energy of red oak. The AWPA E1-09 no-choice termite test determined mass loss due to Reticulitermes flavipes Kollar. Yellow-poplar averaged a significantly higher mass loss while wood treated in water or NaOH showed a higher degree of termite degradation compared to the controls. Polysaccharide content significantly correlated with mass loss due to treatment and specific modulus.

The controlled degradation of wood surfaces with infrared light from a CO2 pulsed laser facilitated adhesion without the use of additional resins. Laser modification creates a surface phenomenon that physically and chemically alters the natural biopolymer organization of lignocellulosic materials in a way that promotes adhesion when hot pressed using typical industrial equipment. Laser optimization was determined through mechanical and microscopic observation. It was determined that a mild level of laser surface modification (scale of 30 W/mm2) resulted in the highest bond-line strength. The large spot size of the laser beam resulted in evenly modified surfaces. Surface analysis revealed that laser modification changed native wood morphology, hydrolyzed and vaporized hemicellulose, and enriched the surface with cellulose II and lignin. Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR FTIR) was used to analyze the bulk of the laser material. This experiment revealed a change in the hydroxyl region related to hydrogen bonding conformations between wood polymers, mainly cellulose. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) provided an elemental composition of the top 5 nanometers of the surface, which resulted in increased carbon-carbon/carbon-hydrogen linkages and decreased oxygen containing bonds due to laser ablation. Static acid-base contact angle analysis was conducted using three probe liquids to find the Lewis acid, Lewis base, and dispersion components of the top nanometer of surface chemistry. Contact angle analysis revealed laser modified samples had a surface free energy that remained similar to the control wood sample. In addition, the dispersion component of the surface free energy increased due to laser ablation while acid-base components were reduced. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) visually displays a reduction in surface roughness due to the laser technique. An additional set of experiments like thermal gravimetric analysis, thermal pre and post treatments, and heated ATR FTIR and XPS support findings which require more investigation into this adhesion phenomenon. / Master of Science

The problem was to determine the effectiveness of using polyethylene glycol 1000 in the treatment of green wood for the purpose of forming projects made of wood veneer and of simple design for use in junior high or high school woodworking classes. The purpose of this study was to seek answers to the following questions. 1. Is polyethylene glycol 1000 an effective stabilizing agent for green wood veneer that can be used in school woodworking classes? 2. Can green wood veneer treated with polyethylene glycol 1000 be bent to form simple woodwork projects? 3. Can green wood veneer treated with polyethylene glycol 1000 be successfully used in junior high and high school woodworking classes? 4. What length of treatment time is best for green wood veneer that is to be used to form simple bent wood projects? 5. Is one-fourth inch thickness suitable for green wood veneer that is to be treated with polyethylene glycol 1000 and used to form simple bent wood projects?