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Sustainability in Wood Science

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Engineering and Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2018) | Viewed by 24831

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jimmy Johansson

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Guest Editor

Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, Linnaeus University, Sch Engn, S-35195 Vaxjo, Sweden

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wood, in all its forms, will have an unquestionable impact on the sustainability of future society. Around 1.6 billion people are stressed by the United Nations to depend on forests for their livelihood. These forests provide opportunities to create different goods and services that address many challenges in sustainable development. Wood science will play a great role in how these challenges are tackled and how wood is used in the future. This Special Issue on sustainability in wood science will include papers related to environmental, social and economic dimensions of wood and wood products. The papers discuss topics from different areas of the forest industrial system or on an overall system perspective, from forest to different transformation activities. Aspects on how wood is returned to nature after it use are also issues of interest. Wood as the ultimate renewable material is a competitive material due to its different biological, chemical, physical and mechanical properties. Wood, with all its beauty, smell, texture and tangibility, however, also creates feelings. Therefore, the belief is that the papers have a multi-disciplinary approach and examine, explore and critically engage with issues and advances in all wood sustainability areas.

Dr. Jimmy Johansson
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

Environmental Sustainability
Economical Sustainability
Social Sustainability
Forest products
Wood products
Circular economy
Closed loop
Life-cycle
Sustainable structures
Sustainable systems
Sustainable production
Sustainable engineering
Carbon sequestration

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 1862 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Sycamore Maple Thermal Treatment on a Granulometric Composition of Chips Obtained due to Processing on a CNC Machining Mentre

by Richard Kminiak and Ladislav Dzurenda

Sustainability 2019, 11(3), 718; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11030718 - 30 Jan 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2741

Abstract

This article deals with a granulometric composition of chips from the milling process of native and thermal treatment maple cuttings on a 5-axial Computer numerical control (CNC) machining center SCM Tech Z5. The aim of this article was to determine the changes in the granulometric composition of chips due to the thermal treatment of wood and to assess the potential risk of the creation of harmful dust fractions. Cuttings were milled with a shank cutter with exchangeable razor blades at feed speed v_f = 1 ÷ 5 m·min⁻¹ and material removal e = 3 mm. The thermal treatment in order to modify the color of the maple wood was done with water vapour at temperatures of t_I = 112.5 ± 2.5 °C for a period of τ = 5.5 h (Mode I), t_II = 127.5 ± 2.5 °C for a period of τ = 6.5 h (Mode II), and t_III = 137.5 ± 2.5 °C for a period of τ = 7.5 h (Mode III). The granulometric composition of the chips was detected by sifting. A granulometric analysis of the chips provided that more than 2/3 of the produced chips are a coarse fraction consisting of flat chips with dimensions over 1 mm. Dust fractions smaller than 500 μm form isometric grains, i.e., chips having approximately the same size in all three dimensions. Inhalable dust particles, smaller than 125 μm, do not exceed a 2.5% share. The granulometric analysis of chips shows that the thermal treatment of maple wood does not create respirable fractions, and therefore, the thermal treatment of the wood does not have a negative impact on the living and working environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Wood Science)

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9 pages, 3072 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Color Characteristics of Red False Heartwood and Mature Wood of Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Determining by Different Chromacity Coordinates

by Ivan Klement and Tatiana Vilkovská

Sustainability 2019, 11(3), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11030690 - 28 Jan 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2717

Abstract

Structure of wood can affect intensity of color change in remarkable ways. This article was focused on the analysis of the color changes red false heartwood and mature wood by different methods such as ΔE* (Total color difference), h* (Hue angle), C*_ab (Color saturation) and S_ab (Saturation). The aim of this study was to evaluate the color properties of red false heartwood and mature wood by using different chromacity coordinates. Our observations suggested that the density in the absolute dry state was equal between the red false heartwood and mature wood. The biggest difference was in the area of the free water domain, thus from an initial MC value to the fiber saturation point (FSP). The shorter drying time of the red false heartwood samples was caused by their lower initial MC. Due to the different MC, the temperature created a different color intensity of the compared samples. Mature wood samples achieved more saturated color in the drying process than did the samples of red false heartwood. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Wood Science)

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17 pages, 4062 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis to Improve the Strength of Beds Due to the Excess Weight of Users in Slovakia

by Roman Réh, Ľuboš Krišťák, Miloš Hitka, Nadežda Langová, Pavol Joščák and Miloš Čambál

Sustainability 2019, 11(3), 624; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11030624 - 24 Jan 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6989

Abstract

Good quality sleep is a prerequisite for regenerating the human body, hence, beds should be optimized for specific group of users, taking into consideration their size or age. Current research studies show similar trends in adult populations around the world, where increases in height as well as in weight can be observed. Not only the ergonomics but also the safety of beds, which is determined by the quality and dimensions of structural elements, must be taken into account in bed design. Designing the structural elements for users with a high body weight is presented in the paper. The properties of a bed’s structural elements, which ensure comfort as well as the safety of a bed are affected by the excess weight of users. New requirements for cross sections, suitable materials and construction of structural elements were set in accordance with the standard EN 1725:1998. Also, an analysis of stresses was done using the finite element method (FEM) and the calculation of allowable stresses related to a user weighing 150 kg. The results of our research provide complete standards and regulations associated with the safety requirements of bedroom furniture for users with a weight more than 110 kg to ensure that the manusfacture of quality products in Slovakia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Wood Science)

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10 pages, 1881 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Firewood Moisture Content on the Atmospheric Thermal Load by Flue Gases Emitted by a Boiler

by Ladislav Dzurenda and Adrian Banski

Sustainability 2019, 11(1), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11010284 - 08 Jan 2019

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4499

Abstract

In this paper, we present an analysis on the effect of the moisture content of firewood on the atmospheric thermal load created by the heating of flue gases with temperatures of t_fg = 120–200 °C, emitted by a boiler when wood with moisture content of W = 10%–60% is combusted. The load of the atmosphere created by the heat of the flue gases with temperatures of t_s = 120 °C from the boiler, where dried wood with the moisture content of W = 10% is combusted, is Q = 9.2 MJ·GJ⁻¹. The atmospheric thermal load caused by flue gases with the temperature of t_s = 200 °C, resulting from the combustion process of wet firewood with a moisture content of W = 60%, is 3.8 times higher compared with the above-mentioned conditions. The heating of water vapor from the evaporated water occurring in combusted wood, as well as the heat of the heated nitrogen and unoxidized oxygen in the combustion air delivered to the furnace of a firewood boiler, are considered to be reasons for the increasing atmospheric thermal load caused by the heating of flue gases, resulting from the combustion of wood with higher moisture content. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Wood Science)

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11 pages, 836 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Methodology of Temperature Monitoring in the Process of CNC Machining of Solid Wood

by Rastislav Igaz, Richard Kminiak, Ľuboš Krišťák, Miroslav Němec and Tomáš Gergeľ

Sustainability 2019, 11(1), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11010095 - 24 Dec 2018

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3873

Abstract

The issue of the change in tool temperature as a result of the machining process is presented in this paper. The aim of the paper is to put forward a proposal and subsequently to verify the methodology of temperature monitoring in the process of computer numerical control (CNC) machining in real time. Subsequently, the data can be used in the process of adaptive machine-tool control. Experiments were used to determine whether the research method is appropriate. Oak, beech and spruce wood turning blanks with the thickness of 20 mm were machined using a 5-axis CNC machining centre. A temperature change observation resulting from the changes in parameters of the removed layer was used to test whether the research method is relevant. Parameters of the removed layer were affected by the changes in feed rate in the range from 1 ÷ 5 m·min⁻¹ in the removed layer (1–5 mm) or in wood species used in the experiment. As emerges from the proposed methodology, it is possible to monitor the changes in tool temperature responding to minimal changes in technological parameters on a relatively small size of a milled surface quite accurately. Sensitivity to given changes in technological parameters as well as the importance of the methodology was proven. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Wood Science)

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12 pages, 534 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Positive Secular Trend in Slovak Population Urges on Updates of Functional Dimensions of Furniture

by Miloš Hitka, Róbert Sedmák, Pavel Joščák and Lenka Ližbetinová

Sustainability 2018, 10(10), 3474; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103474 - 28 Sep 2018

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3478

Abstract

The presented study is focused on the evaluation of the changes in weight and height of the adult population in Slovakia to provide updated information on the secular growth trend. The main objective was to identify and quantify the pace of gradual changes in the dimensions of the Slovak adult population, which is key ergonomic information for multiple disciplines. The measurements of weights, heights and body mass indices of the current adult population of Slovakia ranging from 26 to 94 years of age that were obtained in period 1993–2017 were compared with a sample of students studying at four Slovak universities during the same years (aged 18 to 25). The increase of mean heights was app. 0.104–0.203 cm per one year (or app. 1–2 cm per decade) for males and app. 0.031–0.178 cm per one year (or app. 0.3–1.8 cm per decade) for females was statistically confirmed at different age classes covering the age structure of the whole adult population. The positive secular height trends were manifested in weight and BMI increases too. The changes in means and variation of distributions of selected variables also cause changes in quantile values. For example, the 95% quantiles of heights derived for the period 1993–2003 only cover 92–93% of the heights in the current population. This fact could have a major impact on proposals for optimal and safe arrangement of work, residential and non-residential space, including the furniture production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Wood Science)

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