Measurement and Enhancement of Wood Mechanical and Chemical Properties, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change is one of the challenges of the modern world currently facing humanity. In recent years, various environmental, economic, and political aspects have contributed to the adaptation and introduction of regulations in response to the challenges of sustainable development in the management of wood resources. To counter climate change, there has been a growing interest in solutions to increase the rational use of wood in the economy. In this regard, it is urgent to seek pathways for economic development based on improving the properties of wood through the implementation of innovative technological solutions for the manufacture of products, with the use of environmentally friendly technologies and modification options that will allow for the development of a low-carbon economy as well as a society that is adapted to climate change.

In the first edition, we received over 30 interested authors’ inquiries and 14 submissions. Finally, six of them were successfully published. In the second edition, we still hope to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest research in this field. It will cover a wide range of topics, from basic measurement techniques to advanced modification methods. The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following areas:

• Measurement techniques for wood mechanical and chemical properties;
• principles for the introduction of wood material processing technologies, including investment elements related to resource conservation and investment decisions on the use as well as production of wood and wood-based products;
• updated research reviews using measurement analysis methods that address innovations related to the harvesting or rational use of wood, with positive environmental impacts;
• discussion of the main technological and economic challenges in the forest-wood area, as well as suggestions of potentially possible ways to modify wood and the related socioeconomic effects;
• the impacts of wood properties on end-use applications and the possibilities of using post-consumer wood, including wood composite materials, for utility purposes;
• the use of modern solutions related not only to the introduction of environmentally friendly improved wood materials but energy-efficient processing technologies as well.

Contributions of research using mathematical and econometric programming tools to analyze and evaluate case studies will also be welcome. All articles will undergo a thorough review process in accordance with Forests quality standards. Articles must contain original research, and illustrations should refer to actual case studies for which data should be provided (either in the article or as supplementary material) to ensure that the results can be verified. Articles should contribute novel and noteworthy research to the relevant literature.

Dr. Wanzhao Li
Dr. Marek Wieruszewski
Dr. Yue Qi
Guest Editors

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• change in wood properties
• laboratory measurements
• industrial measurements
• energy-efficient technologies for processing wood and wood-based materials
• materials and technologies for curing improved wood products
• ecological and technological aspects of harvesting and use of wood biomass
• climate regulations in the processing of wood and wood-based materials
• legal, economic, and technological aspects of the use of modified wood
• sustainable development of wood production

Title: Numerical simulation and Bayesian Optimization CatBoost prediction method for characteristic parameters of veneer roller pressing and defibering
Authors: Qi WANG; Chenglin YAN; Yahui Zhang; Yang Xu; Xinxu WANG; Pu Cui
Affiliation: Research Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Abstract: The veneer defibering equipment is the key equipment for the preparation of wood bundles in the production of scrimber, used for roll pressing, cutting, and directional fibre separation of veneer to produce fibrillated veneer with unbroken longitudinal fibres and more uniform thickness. The roller gap and roller velocity of the defibering equipment as well as the geometrical parameters of the veneer have a significant influence on the defibering effect. However, by relying only on empirical methods for process control, it is difficult to ensure the stability of the defibering equipment and the defibering quality. There is an urgent need to introduce intelligent control methods, in order to promote the establishment and improvement of scrimber production line and improve production efficiency. This study proposed a prediction method that combines numerical simulation and ensemble learning. A finite element simulation of the defibering roller process of veneer was conducted using ABAQUS software, with 702 sets of simulation experiments repeated. The effect of each factor on the stress and strain in the veneer defibering process was then analysed in detail. The simulation results were subsequently correlated with the veneer force and veneer deformation in the defibering process. Finally, a database was constructed containing the model setup parameters and simulation results. The CatBoost algorithm was used to establish prediction models for the key parameters of the defibering effect, and the Bayesian Optimization and 5-fold cross-validation technique enabled the strain and stress prediction models to achieve coefficients of determination of 0.98 and 0.97 for the training and test datasets respectively. In addition, the study used Shapley Additive Explanation to provide insight into the contribution of each feature, thereby guiding the selection of feature parameters and simplifying the model. The method proposed in this study provides data support and theoretical guidance for the control of key process parameters, which will be applied in the next step to the intelligent decision-making system of defibering equipment, which is of great practical significance for the intelligent development and upgrading of defibering equipment systems in the future.