Equilibrium moisture contents (EMC) of wood species are very necessary in the utilization of these in service. This study investigated the EMC of five lesser utilized species of Ghana and compared it with that of thre...Equilibrium moisture contents (EMC) of wood species are very necessary in the utilization of these in service. This study investigated the EMC of five lesser utilized species of Ghana and compared it with that of three European species. Sixteen randomly sampled specimens of each of the eight species (heartwood and sapwood) with dimensions 3 cm × 3 cm × 3 cm were exposed at various relative humidity conditions of 30%, 45%, 60%, 75% and 90% in a temperature and humidity-controlled climate chamber at a temperature of 25°C in accordance to German standard DIN 52182. The species are Albies alba, Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies which are European species and Amphimas pterocarpoides, Antiaris toxicaria, Canarium schweinfurthii, Celtis zenkeri and Cola gigantea are wood species from Ghana. Internal wood temperature and humidity were measured with datalogger. Samples were considered to have reached equilibrium at any given humidity when the daily weight changes were less than 0.1 mg according to German standard DIN 52183. After the last measurements of the weight changes, the samples were dried at 103°C until there was a constant weight. The five tropical hardwoods had low sorption values recorded and high sorption values for the European species and this could be attributed to differences in the microstructure of these woods.展开更多
The pinewood nematode（PWN）, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, has become one of the most severe threats to pine forest worldwide. Nematodes, migrating through resin canals and feeding on the living cells, induce rapid met...The pinewood nematode（PWN）, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, has become one of the most severe threats to pine forest worldwide. Nematodes, migrating through resin canals and feeding on the living cells, induce rapid metabolic changes in ray parenchyma cells, create cavitation areas, decrease xylem water content and oleoresin exudation, and cause necrosis of parenchyma and cambial cells. This study focused on the impact of PWN infection on technological parameters of wood and evaluated the impact of anatomic and biochemical incidences of tree defense reactions on basic density, extractive content and moisture sorption properties of Pinus pinaster wood.Samples of infected and uninfected wood were studied.The presence of nematodes reduced wood basic density by2 % and decreased the total content of extractives in infected wood as compared with uninfected（5.98 and8.90 % of dry wood mass, respectively）. Extractives in infected trees had inverse distribution along the trunk as compared with uninfected trees. The adsorption isotherms for infected and uninfected wood had similar positioning.We recorded differences（some statistically significant） in the equilibrium moisture content of infected and uninfected wood under varying environmental conditions. Despite the verified differences in wood basic density, extractive content and moisture sorption properties, the overall conclusion is that the PWN had a slight impact on these characteristics of wood.展开更多
In order to investigate the shrinking and swelling behavior of wood at a non-equilibrium state, the moisture sorptlon processes of wood under constant and changing conditions were studied. For the static sorption expe...In order to investigate the shrinking and swelling behavior of wood at a non-equilibrium state, the moisture sorptlon processes of wood under constant and changing conditions were studied. For the static sorption experiment, Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata） specimens were subjected to the adsorption processes at 25℃, 10 different relative humidity environments and the moisture contents were measured at distinct time intervals of adsorption processes. For the dynamic sorption experiment, the specimens were exposed to periodically and linearly varying relative humidity between 45% and 75% at 25℃. Moisture content as well as radial and tangential dimensional changes in response to the changing relative humidity were measured. The main results from the experiments indicated that： the moisture sorption isotherms of Chinese fir at equilibrium state and different stages of adsorption processes could be characterized by S-shape curves. From the non-equilibrium state to the equilibrium state, the sigmoid moisture sorption isotherms changed from smooth, gradually increasing values to a steep rise at 100% humidity. Furthermore, under dynamic conditions with a constant temperature and a linearly and periodically varying relative humidity, the moisture content as well as radial and tangential dimensional changes of the specimens generally waved but lagged behind the relative humidity change.展开更多
Dehydrated sorghum flour （＂ogi＂） is useful as additional ingredient in certain food and pharmaceutical formulation, this could be obtained by soaking sorghum in water for 3 to 4 days, wet milling the soaked materi...Dehydrated sorghum flour （＂ogi＂） is useful as additional ingredient in certain food and pharmaceutical formulation, this could be obtained by soaking sorghum in water for 3 to 4 days, wet milling the soaked material, and fermentation for another 3 to 4 days. Typically, the fermented product is boiled into a pap or cooked into a stiff porridge. However, the fermented product can not be easily handled or stored and does not have a long shelf life （typically less than a week）. Dehydrating the fermented product into flour is one of the ways that is being employed to overcome these problems. Equilibrium moisture content （EMC） of dehydrated sorghum flour （aka ＂ogi＂） was therefore determined at two temperatures of 25℃ and 40℃ and four salt solutions. Zinc chloride （ZnCl2）, potassium acetate （KC2H3O2）, calcium chloride （CaCl2） and sodium chloride （NaCl） salts were prepared to correspond to equilibrium relative humidities of 10.0% to 75.4%. The moisture sorption characteristics of the sorghum product showed the characteristics S-shaped sorption isotherm curve that is typically obtained for agricultural products. The equilibrium data and the monomolccular layer moisture content values were estimated using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller （BET） equation. The moisture content range for optimum storage of the dehydrated sorghum flour lies between 2.84% to 3.69% at 25℃ and 6.84% and 7.67% at 40℃. The information obtained from this study will help in the design and selection of storage and packaging systems for dehydrated sorghum flour.展开更多
文摘Equilibrium moisture contents (EMC) of wood species are very necessary in the utilization of these in service. This study investigated the EMC of five lesser utilized species of Ghana and compared it with that of three European species. Sixteen randomly sampled specimens of each of the eight species (heartwood and sapwood) with dimensions 3 cm × 3 cm × 3 cm were exposed at various relative humidity conditions of 30%, 45%, 60%, 75% and 90% in a temperature and humidity-controlled climate chamber at a temperature of 25°C in accordance to German standard DIN 52182. The species are Albies alba, Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies which are European species and Amphimas pterocarpoides, Antiaris toxicaria, Canarium schweinfurthii, Celtis zenkeri and Cola gigantea are wood species from Ghana. Internal wood temperature and humidity were measured with datalogger. Samples were considered to have reached equilibrium at any given humidity when the daily weight changes were less than 0.1 mg according to German standard DIN 52183. After the last measurements of the weight changes, the samples were dried at 103°C until there was a constant weight. The five tropical hardwoods had low sorption values recorded and high sorption values for the European species and this could be attributed to differences in the microstructure of these woods.
基金supported by Grant No.SFRH/BPD/40135/2008 Funded by FCT(POPH-QREN-Typology 4.1,FCI and MEC)
文摘The pinewood nematode（PWN）, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, has become one of the most severe threats to pine forest worldwide. Nematodes, migrating through resin canals and feeding on the living cells, induce rapid metabolic changes in ray parenchyma cells, create cavitation areas, decrease xylem water content and oleoresin exudation, and cause necrosis of parenchyma and cambial cells. This study focused on the impact of PWN infection on technological parameters of wood and evaluated the impact of anatomic and biochemical incidences of tree defense reactions on basic density, extractive content and moisture sorption properties of Pinus pinaster wood.Samples of infected and uninfected wood were studied.The presence of nematodes reduced wood basic density by2 % and decreased the total content of extractives in infected wood as compared with uninfected（5.98 and8.90 % of dry wood mass, respectively）. Extractives in infected trees had inverse distribution along the trunk as compared with uninfected trees. The adsorption isotherms for infected and uninfected wood had similar positioning.We recorded differences（some statistically significant） in the equilibrium moisture content of infected and uninfected wood under varying environmental conditions. Despite the verified differences in wood basic density, extractive content and moisture sorption properties, the overall conclusion is that the PWN had a slight impact on these characteristics of wood.
文摘In order to investigate the shrinking and swelling behavior of wood at a non-equilibrium state, the moisture sorptlon processes of wood under constant and changing conditions were studied. For the static sorption experiment, Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata） specimens were subjected to the adsorption processes at 25℃, 10 different relative humidity environments and the moisture contents were measured at distinct time intervals of adsorption processes. For the dynamic sorption experiment, the specimens were exposed to periodically and linearly varying relative humidity between 45% and 75% at 25℃. Moisture content as well as radial and tangential dimensional changes in response to the changing relative humidity were measured. The main results from the experiments indicated that： the moisture sorption isotherms of Chinese fir at equilibrium state and different stages of adsorption processes could be characterized by S-shape curves. From the non-equilibrium state to the equilibrium state, the sigmoid moisture sorption isotherms changed from smooth, gradually increasing values to a steep rise at 100% humidity. Furthermore, under dynamic conditions with a constant temperature and a linearly and periodically varying relative humidity, the moisture content as well as radial and tangential dimensional changes of the specimens generally waved but lagged behind the relative humidity change.
文摘Dehydrated sorghum flour （＂ogi＂） is useful as additional ingredient in certain food and pharmaceutical formulation, this could be obtained by soaking sorghum in water for 3 to 4 days, wet milling the soaked material, and fermentation for another 3 to 4 days. Typically, the fermented product is boiled into a pap or cooked into a stiff porridge. However, the fermented product can not be easily handled or stored and does not have a long shelf life （typically less than a week）. Dehydrating the fermented product into flour is one of the ways that is being employed to overcome these problems. Equilibrium moisture content （EMC） of dehydrated sorghum flour （aka ＂ogi＂） was therefore determined at two temperatures of 25℃ and 40℃ and four salt solutions. Zinc chloride （ZnCl2）, potassium acetate （KC2H3O2）, calcium chloride （CaCl2） and sodium chloride （NaCl） salts were prepared to correspond to equilibrium relative humidities of 10.0% to 75.4%. The moisture sorption characteristics of the sorghum product showed the characteristics S-shaped sorption isotherm curve that is typically obtained for agricultural products. The equilibrium data and the monomolccular layer moisture content values were estimated using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller （BET） equation. The moisture content range for optimum storage of the dehydrated sorghum flour lies between 2.84% to 3.69% at 25℃ and 6.84% and 7.67% at 40℃. The information obtained from this study will help in the design and selection of storage and packaging systems for dehydrated sorghum flour.
