Abstract: In this study, the change in the chemical properties of the thermally modified eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) wood boards were examined by wet chemical analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. The eucalyptus wood boards were modified with a laboratory type hot-press for four different groups at press pressures of 2 or 4 MPa and temperatures of 150°C or 180°C and compared to untreated control. After this, hot water, 1% NaOH, ethanol-cyclohexane, ethanol, and methanol-water solubility values were determined for the treated samples. In addition, the content of klason lignin, acid soluble lignin, holocellulose, and α-cellulose were investigated. The solubility values (except for the ethanol solubility) increased in the modified wood when compared to the untreated control. A decrease in the content of acid soluble lignin, holocellulose and α-cellulose was observed while the content of klason lignin in the modified wood was increased. According to the FTIR analysis results, significant changes were observed in the spectra of the modified samples. These findings were in agreement with the results of wet chemical analysis.

Abstract: There is still a need to improve the production sequences of micro fibrillated and nano fibrillated celluloses to obtain more economic and better quality products. The aim of this study was to improve the production efficiency and quality of micro fibrillated and nano fibrillated celluloses by examining the enzyme (xylanase endo-1,4-) employed in pretreatment sequences. Fairly homogeneous nano fibrillated cellulose with a width of 35 ± 12 nm was produced in this study. Sequences employed to produce micro fibrillated and nano fibrillated celluloses decreased the cellulose crystallinity of bleached kraft pulp and lower total crystalline index and lateral order index values were observed for micro fibrillated and nano fibrillated celluloses in FTIR examinations. Lower crystallinities were also defined by 13C-NMR (46,2 ppm) which was substantiated with C6 peaks in the amorphous domain. Sequences to produce micro fibrillated and nano fibrillated celluloses resulted in shorter fiber dimensions with less ordered cellulose structure leading lower thermal degradation that reveal main polymer chain source from cellulose units. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis results showed that the initial and maximum storage modulus of the nano fibrillated and micro fibrillated celluloses films were improved by 114% and 101%, respectively. The storage modulus of micro fibrillated and nano fibrillated celluloses films were 4,96 GPa and 2,66 GPa at temperature of 235°C, respectively.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of hot water extraction process on the dimensional stability of oriented strand composites. Aspen wood strands were extracted using various severity factor levels. Phenol formaldehyde and polymethylene diphenyl diisocyanate resins were used for production of the oriented strandboard panels. Six panel groups were produced from the extracted or unextracted aspen wood strands. The dimensional stability of the material was evaluated by measures of equilibrium moisture content and thickness swell and water absorption after soaking in water for 2 hours and 24 hours. Results obtained in this study showed that thickness swell and water absorption values significantly decreased with the hot water extraction process, with the thickness swell of phenol formaldehyde bonded panels decreasing 70% after 2 hours soaking. The panels with polymethylene diphenyl diisocyanate resin exhibited lower thickness swell and water absorption relative to the panels prepared with phenol formaldehyde resin. Equilibrium moisture content values of the panels bonded with both phenol formaldehyde and polymethylene diphenyl diisocyanate resin decreased with the extraction process. The findings of this work indicate that hot water extraction process could be effectively used to produce oriented strand composites having an enhanced dimensional stability property.

The combined effects of temperature and compression on the microstructure of solid-wood panels produced by Aspen (Populus tremula) wood were evaluated. Thermal compression was applied on aspen wood to increase the density for improving its physical and mechanical properties. The solid wood panels with dimensions of 100 mm by 500 mm by 25 mm were hot-pressed by using a laboratory hot press at a temperature of either 150°C or 170°C and pressure of either 1MPa or 2 MPa, respectively, for 45 min. Changes in the microstructure were detected by using a light microscope. The microscopic investigations revealed that the wood exhibited much defects in the process conditions of 170ºC / 2 MPa, and the distribution of defects were not uniform in the growth rings of the wood specimens in the two treatment groups. All defects in cell structure were quite distinct in the beginning and the last parts of the growth rings and the largest damages occurred in the fibers and vessels for the two process conditions. The results indicate that growth ring structure, vessel porosity, and cell wall thickness have a strong effect on wood behavior in various process conditions.

Novel composite materials having desired performance properties can be developed by nanotechnology. The major objective of this research was to produce nanomaterial- reinforced particleboard composites with enhanced physical and mechanical performance. Urea formaldehyde adhesive used to produce particleboard composites was reinforced with nanoSiO2, nanoAl2O3, and nanoZnO at loading level of 0%, 1%, and 3%. To evaluate physical properties density, thickness swelling, water absorption, and equilibrium moisture content were determined while modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, bonding strength, and screw withdrawal strength tests were carried out to evaluate mechanical properties of the particleboard composites. The results acquired in this work revealed that nanomaterial reinforcement technique significantly affected the physical and mechanical performance properties of the particleboard composites. The findings showed that the modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, bonding strength, and screw withdrawal resistance of the composites improved by all the nanomaterials used in this study, except 3% nanoZnO. It was also determined that using 1% nanoSiO2 or 1% nanoAl2O3 in the composites had the best results in the bonding strength and screw withdrawal resistance. The findings indicate that it is possible to produce novel wood composites by using proper nanomaterial type and loading level.

World production of wood based panel has grown from 63,1 million cubic meters in 2005 to 75,5 million m³ in 2009, a 12 million m³ rise in production. China is the world's largest wood based panel’s manufacturer. The Turkish wood based panels industry has shown a tendency of fluctuating during this time. Turkey, as the world’s 4th largest producer of wood based panels, is an important contributor to the industry. Turkey has made great strides in the last 20 years in the forest products industry. Both the development of new materials and techniques of domestic and international market demand have played a decisive role. Turkey's wood panel production has gone from 100000 m³ in the early 2000s, to 5,5 million m³ of production in 2010. The sector's total production capacity is approximately 9 million m³. The results obtained thus far indicate that the Turkish wood based panel industry demand for raw material is not being met by the GDF's chip wood fiber production. Where the raw material supply problem in the industry, as well as the problems encountered in the forest and on the basis of the villagers living adjacent to, not to the time of product problems related to storage and transportation of raw materials and other related problems are bottlenecks. We examine problems related to the provision of raw materials and raw materials research, the need for future estimates of the level at which the world and close to the periphery countries will be examined, wood composite panel production and trade policy recommendations will be developed.

RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar os efeitos das modificações térmicas e prensagem a quente sobre as características de cor de madeira de pinus como bio-recursos. As tábuas de madeira com dimensões de 250 mm de largura por 500 mm de comprimento por 18 mm de espessura foram comprimidas termicamente a uma temperatura de 120 ºC ou 150 ºC, a pressão de 5 ou 7 MPa durante 60 min em uma prensa quente. Os resultados obtidos neste estudo mostraram que as características de cor das amostras de madeira de pinus foram afetadas pela pressão e temperatura da prensa. A exsudação da resina aumentou significativamente as coordenadas cromáticas (a * - b * e 25,99 - 43,18) das amostras de madeira tratada. Compressão térmica causa escurecimento na cor da madeira, o que aumenta em condições de pressão e alta temperatura.

ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to determine the effects of thermal modification and hot-pressing on the colour characteristics of pine wood as bio-resource. The experimental wood boards with dimensions of 250 mm in width by 500 mm in length by 18 mm in thickness were thermally compressed at a temperature of 120 ºC or 150 ºC, press pressure of 5 or 7 MPa for 60 min in a hot press. Results obtained in this study showed that the colour characteristics of the pine wood boards were affected by press pressure and temperature. The resin leakages significantly increased the chromacity (a* - 25.99 and b* - 43.18) of the treated wood samples. Thermally compressing caused browning of wood colour, which rate increases with pressure at high temperature conditions.

Wettability and surface roughness properties of medium density fiberboard (MDF) panels made from Rhododendron biomass were examined in this study. Rhododendron dominates the understory layer of the forests throughout the Black Sea Region in Turkey with substantial biomass potential. This study was conducted to evaluate suitability of Rhododendron fiber for MDF production. For the experiments, rhododendron and commercially-manufactured-chip (Pinus sylvestris L. and Quercus robur L.) with 11% moisture content were used. The mixing ratios of rhododendron with commercially-manufactured-chip were 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100 %, respectively. Commercial urea formaldehyde (UF) adhesive was used as a binder. A stylus method was employed to evaluate the surface characteristics of the samples. Roughness measurements by the stylus method were taken perpendicularly to the fiber. There was a significant difference (p=0.05) between surface roughness parameters (Ra, Rz, Rq, and Ry). The results obtained in this study revealed that all the panels have met the general purpose-use requirements of European Norm (EN). It was found that panels made with a 25/75 ratio of rhododendron to commercially-manufactured-chip had a significantly lower contact angle (88.14º) than panels made with a 100/0 ratio (117.91º). Surface roughness measurements are based on four roughness parameters, average roughness (Ra), mean peak-to-valley height (Rz), root mean square roughness (Rq), and maximum peak-to-valley height (Ry) were considered to evaluate the surface characteristics of the panels and supported the above findings as the panels made with a 25/75 ratio had a slightly rougher surface with average values of 2.929 ìm (Ra). From the tests performed, we conclude that increasing the rhododendron mixing portion increased surface roughness and decreased wettability. Based on these results, rhododendron biomass could be an alternative raw material for MDF manufacturing.