• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.68-77
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• 2006

The heartwood of cengal (Neobalanocarpus heimii) is known to have a high degree of decay resistance by virtue of its high extractive content. After 30 years in ground contact an utility pole of this tropical hardwood was found to be degraded only in the surface layers by cavity-forming soft rot fungi. The present work was undertaken 1) to characterize the degradation of cengal heartwood from the aspect of ultrastructure and chemistry and 2) to investigate the correlation between soft rot decay and its extractive microdistribution in wood tissues. The chemical analysis of cengal heartwood revealed the presence of a high amount of extractives as well as lignin. The wood contained a relatively high amount of condensed lignin and the guaiacyl units. Microscopic observations revealed that vessels, fibers and parenchyma cells (both ray and axial parenchyma) all contained extractives in their lumina, but in variable amounts. The lumina of fibers and most axial parenchyma were completely or almost completely filled with the extractives. TEM micrographs showed that cell walls were also impregnated with extractives and that pit membranes connecting parenchyma cells were well coated and impregnated with extractives. However, fungal hyphae were present in the extractive masses localized in cell lumina, and indications were that the extractives did not completely inhibit fungal growth. The extent of cell wall degradation varied with tissue types. The fibers appeared to be more susceptible to decay than vessels and parenchyma. Middle lamella was the only cell wall region which remained intact in all cell types which were severely degraded. The microscopic observations suggested a close correlation between extractive microdistribution and the pattern and extent of cell wall degradation. In addition to the toxicity to fungi, the physical constraint of the extractive material present in cengal heartwood cells is likely to have a profound effect on the growth and path of invasion of colonizing fungi, thus conferring protection to wood by restricting fungal entry into cell walls. The presence of relatively high amount of condensed lignin is also likely to be a factor in the resistance of cengal heartwood to soft rot decay.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.406-419
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• 2011

This study was carried out to offer basic information on the wood anatomy of domestic yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), a new plantation species selected by Korea Forest Service as one of the promising hardwood and bioenergy sources of the future, through comparison of stem wood with root wood in the qualitative and quantitative features. In the qualitative anatomical features, growth rings were distinct in stem wood but relatively less distinct in root wood. And stem wood appeared to have pores in radial multiples of 2 to 5, sometimes clusters but root wood to have pores in radial multiples of 2 to 3, rarely clusters. And numbers of bars in scalariform perforation plates were somewhat numerous in vessel elements of root wood than in those of stem wood. Interestingly, on the other hand, more extraneous materials in the wood rays of tap root than in those of lateral root and stem were confirmed in the chemical composition analyses. In the quantitative anatomical features, pore densities were significantly greater but vessel elements were considerably narrower in stem wood than in root wood. Vessel elements and wood fibers of root wood were considerably longer than those of stem wood. Rays were somewhat more numerous in stem wood than in root wood, and only ray heights of stem wood were more or less greater in cell numbers but both ray heights and widths of stem wood were lower in dimension than those of root wood. The anatomical differences between stem wood and root wood were thought to be associated with different growth environments between the stem above ground and the root below ground.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.50-57
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• 2014

In this study, we investigated the physical properties of kraft pulps made from rice husk, peanut husk and garlic stems. These agricultural byproducts were collected individually, and then various pulps were manufactured from them by controlling active alkali, sulfidity, reaction time and the liquor ratio in the kraft pulping process in order to analyze the applicability of these agricultural byproducts as raw materials for kraft pulps. After kraft pulping, we measured yield, flake content, fiber length, fiber width and freeness of pulps, and the fiber shapes of the pulps were observed by using an optical microscope. When the higher active alkali, longer reaction time and lower liquor ratio were applied in kraft pulping process, reject content decreased and fiber yield increased. The pulp from garlic stems had the longest fiber length and that from rice husk showed the highest intial freeness. All of the pulps from agricultural byproducts showed higher initial freeness, shorter fiber length and the similar fiber width compared to OCC, BCTMP and hardwood BKP. The fibers of the pulps made from agricultural byproducts showed a similar shape to those of commercial pulps. It was concluded that these agricultural byproducts had a potential as raw materials to produce an alternative pulp to the commercial pulps.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.581-590
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• 2020

Pulp refining is the major way to alter the properties of fibers and formed paper. Different combinations of the bar profile of the rotor and stator during low consistency refining processes directly affect the properties of the paper. In this study, a mixture of softwood and hardwood pulp was refined by varying the bar angle of the stator while that of the rotor is fixed at 0º. The pulp samples were collected at different refining times. Then, the pulp and paper properties, such as beating degree, fiber external fibrillation, and tensile and tear indexes were measured to explore the effects of the combined refining plates at different bar angles on paper properties. The results of the experiment show that the combined refining plate of 0º and 5º recorded the most significant improvement in the pulp beating degree and fiber external fibrillation. This consequently increased the fiber bonding area, which in turn, improved both the tensile and the tear indexes of the paper. Also, the influence of the combined refining plates with a larger bar angle on the paper properties was weaker compared to that of smaller angles. This study not only provides ideas for the bar profile design but also improves the optimal selection of refining plates.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.62-67
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• 1979

Ultraviolet microscopy of ultrathin sections of wood has proved to be one of the useful means for determining the lignin distribution in the various regions of the cell wall. Also, spectral approach and quantitative analysis of isolated compound middle lamella fraction from birch xylem have revealed that the lignin associated with the vessel secondary wall and middle lamella is composed predominantly of gualacylpropane units. Lignin deposited in the fiber and ray parenchyma secondary walls is composed mostly of syringylpropane units. The middle lamella lignin around fibers and ray cells contains both guaiacyl and syringyl propane quits. On the basis of the results above, this research was carried out to clarify the origin of milled wood lignin (MWL) by analysing the chemical characteristics of ML MWLs extracted at various milling stages. The amount of phenolic hydroxyl-, ${\alpha}$-carbonyl-, and methoxyl-group in the MWL's increases the milling time. And progressive mining contributes to the merease of ratio of syringylaldehyde to vanillin(S/V ratio) after nitrobenzene oxidation of MWL. Accordingly, It could be concluded that milled wood lignin extracted at the initial milling stage derives from compound middle lamella region of cell wall, whereas, with progressive milling, lignin of secondary wall of fiber is introduced gradually to milled wood lignin. These results are suggesting that heterogeneous chemical structure of lignins in hardwood exists. Although milled wood lignin at the initial stage seems to have lower molecular weight in comparison with milled wood lignin extracted at final milling stage from the result of Gel-filtration curves, further study would be required on molecular weight distribution of milled wood lignin in future.