• Geomechanics and Engineering
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.335-352
• /
• 2024

Low carbon energy demand in South Korea is increasing, hence leading to an increasing usage of wood pellets and the amount of its combustion by-product called wood pellet fly ash (WA). In an effort to develop recycling technology, this research investigates the use of WA as a new sustainable binder for backfill soil materials. The influence of WA on weathered granite soils (WS) is investigated by mixing 5%, 15%, and 25% of WA dosage, compacted at optimum moisture content, then cured for 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. After curing, the compacted specimens were investigated through unconfined compressive tests, pH tests, total suction tests, and microstructural analysis. The findings suggest that the higher the dosage rate, the higher strength and modulus. Additionally, the alkali ions of WA aid in the cementation of WS particles, and newly cementitious minerals are confirmed after 28 curing days. The refinement of pore microstructures led to a denser WS matrix and stiffness improvements. The results validate the binding potential of wood pellet fly ash on weathered granite soils in terms of strength, modulus, and microstructures.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.49 no.6
• /
• pp.591-601
• /
• 2021

Recently it is trend to increase wood use as carbon neutral materials, there is recognized to need necessarily durability improvement of wooden building. It is very rare to report existing on the identification of isolates causing discoloration in domestic weathered wooden building used for long period. The objective of this study was identification of fungi that cause discoloration on the exteriors of weathered domestic wooden buildings in the southern part of South Korea. Our findings can be helpful to establish protection technology for weather deterioration of domestic wooden buildings. Wood chip samples presumed to be contaminated with sapstain fungi were collected from the surface of wooden members used in wooden buildings at Jangheung, Jeollanam-do (two locations, #13 and #14), and Jeju Island (two locations, #31 and #33). The growth of microorganisms was confirmed by performing culture tests for the collected samples, and fungi were isolated, purified, and identified. The results indicated that the fungal strains isolated from wooden buildings #13 and #14 at Jangheung, Jeollanam-do, were 99.83% and 100% homologous to Aureobasidium melanogenum, respectively. For wooden building #31 at Jeju Island (two locations), the fungal strain isolated was 100% homologous to A. melanogenum, which is the same species isolated from the wooden buildings at Jangheung. The fungal strain isolated from wooden building #33 (Jeju Island) had 99.83% homology with A. pullulans, which is commonly found in wood degraded by weather or ultraviolet rays. Our findings can be utilized as a basis for establishing protection technology in domestic wooden buildings.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.45 no.5
• /
• pp.483-494
• /
• 2017

This was reviewed on the characteristics (changes of color, microscopic structures, and chemical degradations) that appears on wood surface, when wood is exposed to outdoors and weathering testing methods applicable for assessment of wood weatherability in outside environment through literature reviews.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.18-24
• /
• 2002

Small Sitka spruce specimens of 50×133×10 mm³ were artificially weathered in a chamber equipped with 340 mm xenon arc and water spray as part of the accelerated-weathering cycle. Specimens were exposed to only ultraviolet or ultraviolet with water spray for 10 and 20 hours. Physical properties of the weathered specimens were investigated by colorimetry, sorption and ultrasonic testing methods. The longer exposed to ultraviolet the less bright were the specimens. It was revealed that the water spray treatment accelerated the loss of brightness and increased the wettability. Among the specimens exposed to ultraviolet with water spray the specimens treated for 10 hours showed greater wettability than those for 20 hours, which might lose the wettability due to the excessive degradation on their surfaces. The ultrasonic velocities of the weathered specimens were obviously higher than those of the unweathered. It is considered that the accelerated weathering either increases the modulus of elasticity of wood or decrease the density of wood.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.50 no.4
• /
• pp.300-300
• /
• 2022

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
• /
• v.19 no.6
• /
• pp.460-465
• /
• 2008

When wood is exposed to natural weathering and UV radiation discoloration progresses. The color variation of heat-treated wood was investigated. Four domestic species were selected and heat-treated at $220^{\circ}C$ and naturally weathered for 42 days. Their colors were measured with a portable colorimeter. The color variations were different between species. The Korean red pine specimens were highly discolored by the natural weathering even though they were heat-treated. In contrast to Korean red pine, Korean pine is less discolored. The maximum color difference of larch was lower than Korean red pine. All specimens of birch exceeded the color difference criterion of 15 after 25 hours with the maximum of 28.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.428-434
• /
• 2015

In this study, we received each wood plastic composites (WPC) from three manufacturers. These WPCs were evaluated regarding their physical and mechanical properties of both before and after accelerated weathering by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The total time of exposure of the WPCs to UV irradiation was 1800 h. The water absorption, volumetric swelling and shrinkage of WPCs did not affected by UV irradiation. Among the mechanical properties, there was no significant differences in bending strength and screw withdrawal resistance of UV treated WPCs compared with those of reference WPCs. However, surface hardness of WPCs showed decrease under UV irradiation. Stereoscopic microscopy observation revealed deterioration of the surface layer polymer in all weathered WPCs by UV. Exposure of the WPCs to UV irradiation caused decomposition and disappearance of the polymer layer. From this result, we can estimate that damage of polymer by UV led to a decrease in the surface hardness of the WPCs. The wood flours retained original shape after accelerated weathering by UV irradiation.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.33-38
• /
• 2000

This study was conducted in an effort to meet the need for domestic production of hydroponic media and for medium development using recycled hydroponic rockwool slabs. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the growth of plug seedlings of petunia 'Romeo' in various mixtures including particles of used rockwool slabs (rockwool particles) and wood chips. In the first experiment, seedlings were grown in plugs filled with mixtures of steam- sterilized rockwool particles and chestnut wood chips, which had been weathered for six months and screened through either 2.8 mm or 5.6 mm sieve, at the mixing ratio of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, or 0:100 (v/v). In the second experiment, seedlings were grown in plugs filled with twenty different mixtures of steam-sterilized particles of used hydroponic rockwool slabs with 4 mm chestnut or pine wood chips, coir, peatmoss, or perlite. In the first experiment seedling growth was not affected by particle size of chestnut wood chips, was superior in the control (commercial plug medium) and in 100% rockwool particles, but was suppressed as mixing ratio of chestnut wood chips increased. In the second experiment, leaf length, and shoot fresh and dry weights were the greatest in rockwool particles+peatmoss+coir treatment, followed by rockwool particles+peatmoss treatment. Leaf length was suppressed as ratio of wood chips increased, especially of chestnut wood chips. Root development was the greatest in rockwool particles+peatmoss+perlite treatment, followed by the control, and rockwool particles+peatmoss+coir treatment. The growth was suppressed as the mixing ratio of rockwool particles, peatmoss, or coir decreased.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.38-43
• /
• 2003

This is the second in a series of reports on the evaluation of weathering durability of waterborne preservative treated wood by accelerated weathering. The leaching of copper from ACQ-, CCA-, and CuAz-treated samples during weathering was increased by UV irradiation, when compared between full weathering and water-only weathering. The FTIR spectra of the weathered ACQ-, CCA, CuAz-treated samples at 1731 cm^-1, 1625 cm^-1, 1510 cm^-1, which are related to the fixation of copper, were different from those of unweathered controls. This result means that UV irradiation can weaken the chemical bond between lignin and copper and/or extraction of lignin-copper complex can be occured when lignin erode away by weathering.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.57-64
• /
• 2003

Small cherry specimens modified with acetic anhydride and formaldehyde vapor phase were weathered by outdoor exposure and accelerated conditioning in a climate chamber. The effects of the chemical modification were evaluated by measuring their weight percentage gains (WPG), hygroscopicity and color differences before and after weathering. The average WPGs of the 72 hour acetylated and formaldehyde-treated specimens were 8.1 and 15.7%, respectively. After outdoor exposure for more than 2 months, the acetylated specimens lost weights by only 1.5%, but the formaldehyde-treated did much more than the formers. It was revealed that acetylation reduced the hygroscopicity and discoloration of wood while formaldehyde treatment didn't. Moreover the longer is the formaldehyde treatment time the more degraded after weathering. It was concluded that the vapor-phase acetylation could be applied for improving the dimensional stability of old wooden blocks.