• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.83-95
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• 1997

The degradation mode of lignocellulose by anaerobic ruminal cellulolytic bacterium Ruminococcus albus F-40 was investigated. Birchwood holocellulose and filter paper were incubated as the sole carbohydrate sources with using the Hungate techniques. After 2 or 4 days of incubation, samples were employed for chemical and electron microscopic evaluations. The degradation rate of cellulosic substrates and the adhesion rate of bacteria to the substrates increased proportionally with the decrease of relative crystallinity of cellulose, indicating the preferential breakdown of amorphous cellulose, by this bacterium. X-ray diffraction analyses and polarized light microscopy showed, however, that crystalline cellulose was also degraded by R. albus. FT-IR spectra indicated that not only cellulose but hemicellulose was also degraded by this bacterium. Electron microscopic investigations showed the protuberant structures on the surface of R. albus. These structures were much more significant when bacterial cells were grown in the media containing insoluble substrates, such as cellulose, indicating clearly that bacterial protuberant structures were induced by the substrates. Protuberant structures extended from the bacterial cells adhered tightly to the substrates and numerous vesicles covered the surface of cellulosic substrates affected. Cellulosome-like structures were distributed on the cellulose matrix. Electron microscopic works showed that diverse surface organells of R. albus were involved in the degradation of cellulosic materials. SEM examinations showed the breakdown of cellulose by R. albus was proceeded by severeal routes : short fiber formation, defibrillation and destrafication of cellulose microfibril.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.533-542
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• 2019

As energy costs increase, more people has become interested on energy efficiency and savings in residential buildings. The two main subjects related to energy in residential buildings are insulation and condensation. There are two approaches to prevent condensation; increasing air tightness and maintaining the temperature inside of the wall structure over the dew point, which is in turn related to insulation. Even though the Korean government has highlighted the importance of energy efficiency for residential housings, and in spite of the customers' demands, the timber construction industry is still using conventional light-frame construction without even trying to improve energy efficiency. In this study, various types and combinations of wall structures were tested under cold outdoor and warm indoor temperatures to analyse the temperature gradients and to determine the possible sites of condensation in the wall structures. In addition to the experimental tests, three theoretical models were developed and their estimations of temperature change through the wall structure were compared with the actual measurements to evaluate accuracy of the models. The results of the three models agree relatively well with the experimental values, indicating that they can be used to estimate temperature changes in wall structures. The theoretical analysis of different insulation layers' combinations show that condensation may occur within the mid-layer in the conventional light-frame wall structures for any combination of inner-, mid-, and outer-layers of insulation. Therefore, it can be concluded that the addition of an inner and outer insulation layer or increasing the thickness of insulation may not be adequate to prevent condensation in the wall structure without preventing penetration of warm moist air into the wall structure.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.828-835
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• 2017

Airtightness of buildings is one of critical aspects of its energy performance. To build up references of airtightness of wooden houses built in Korea, blower door tests have been carried out in 42 houses since 2006. Causes of air leakage were investigated recently. The average value of air change rate was $3.7h^{-1}$ for light frame house and $5.5h^{-1}$ for post-beam construction at ACH50 (air change per hour at 50 Pa air pressure difference). Foam type insulation was more advantageous in ensuring building airtightness than glass fiber batt. Airtightness of wooden houses which were constructed after 2010 was improved to have less than $1.5h^{-1}$ of ACH50, threshold for application of artificial air change. The average air change rate of CLT (cross laminated timber) houses showed the lowest value, $1.1h^{-1}$, among the tested structures.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.5 s.133
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• pp.86-91
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• 2005

Six compounds were isolated from the EtOAc and $Et_2O$ fractions of the bark of Rhus chinensis by repeated column chromatography with $SiO_2$ and Sephadex LH-20. The structures were determined by instrumental analysis using MS and NMR spectrophotometer as: gallic acid (1), methyl gallate (2), 6, 7-dimethoxycoumarin (3), orcinol-${\beta}$-D-glucoside (4), scopoletin (5), semialactone (6). Among these compounds, 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin (3) was isolated from this plant for the first time. To measure the antioxidant activity, the DPPH radical scavenging activity test was performed. Gallic acid (1) showed the strongest activity, while orcinol-${\beta}$-D-glucoside (4), semialactone (5) and scopoletin (6) had the low activities.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.231-238
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• 2009

Red pine (Pinus densiflora) has been used for structural wood members of Korean traditional residence (HANOK) and historic wooden structures. For these constructions, generally, natural drying has conducted for long time; however, unless drying is conducted sufficiently, it could cause several drying defects such as check or warping. Shrinkage changes of red pine species for small clear specimens and big-size specimens according to the conditions of moisture contents, were examined. For the estimation of volumetric shrinkage at a special moisture content, it was more precise to divide the range of moisture contents into two groups, green to air-dry and air-dry to oven-dry. The volumetric shrinkage had no difference with specimen sizes in sapwood, but decreased as specimen size increased in heartwood.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.163-173
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• 2018

The design wind pressure for low-rise buildings in the ASCE 7-10 is defined by procedures that are categorized into the Main Wind Force-Resisting System (MWFRS) and the Components and Cladding (C&C). Some of these procedures were originally developed based on steel portal frames of industrial buildings, while the residential structures are a completely different structural system, most of which are designed as low-rise light-frame wood constructions. The purpose of this study is to discuss the rationality (or irrationality) of the extension of the wind loads calculated by the ASCE 7-10 to the light-frame wood residential buildings that represent the most vulnerable structures under extreme wind conditions. To serve this purpose, the same approach as used in the development of Chapter 28 of the ASCE 7-10 that envelops peak responses is adopted in the present study. Database-assisted design (DAD) methodology is used by applying the dynamic wind loads from Louisiana State University (LSU) database on a typical residential building model to assess the applicability of the standard by comparing the induced responses. Rather than the postulated critical member demands on the industrial building such as the bending moments at the knee, the maximum values at the critical points for wood frame buildings under wind loads are used as indicators for the comparison. Then, the critical members are identified through these indicators in terms of the displacement or the uplift force at connections and roof envelope. As a result, some situations for each of the ASCE 7 procedures yielding unconservative wind loads on the typical low-rise residential building are identified.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.36-44
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• 2008

It is necessary to assess wood quality and strength of the clear specimens from used members in old wooden structures for the reuse of old members on the same structure or a new structure. Wood species classification by microscope observation of each wood member that was used in truss cord and temple, and several physical and strength tests by the specification of present KS standards were conducted to compare with some references. From the comparison of strengths with references, Korean larch gives relatively better wood quality and mechanical properties than other wood species. No significant deterioration of cell wall was found by microscopic observation for the sound wood part that was selected visually. Tensile specimens with 3 mm in thickness on the middle span showed greater strength than 5 mm thick specimens, which explains that dimension of tensile specimen should be examined for evaluating precise tensile strength properties. Other tests, compression, shear, and bending, are adoptable for each strength properties. Test methods for the evaluation of basic strengths and fastener connections for old wood species should be further examined.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.43-49
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• 1997

The lengths of fibers and vessel elements, vessel diameters, and ray spacings of tension and opposite woods in Quercus mongolica Fischer and their radial variations were examined. Crystallinity indices and crystallites orientations of tension, opposite and lateral woods were also investigated. The lengths of fibers and vessel elements, and ray spacings of tension wood were longer and denser than those of opposite wood, respectively. In the latewood, the vessels of tension wood had a little larger diameters than those of opposite wood. whereas the vessel diameters of earlywood were similar in both woods. With the exception of vessel diameters of earlywood, there were differences between tension and opposite woods in all anatomical characteristics examined. In the radial variation pattern, the fiber lengths of both woods increased markedly to about 15th annual ring and thereafter remained virtually constant. The vessel element lengths of earlywood in tension wood increased to certain annual ring and thereafter were stabilized, but opposite wood had a relatively constant trend from pith to bark. Those of late wood in both woods increased to certain annual ring and thereafter showed constant patterns. Vessel diameters appeared to show similar trend in both woods. Ray spacings decreased to about 15 annual ring and thereafter were stabilized in both woods. In the fine structures, tension wood had higher crystallinity index and better crystallites orientation than opposite and lateral woods.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.48-58
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• 2002

This study was carried out through scanning electron microscopy to elucidate the mechanism of thickness swelling in wood particle-polypropylene composite which is a typical way of using wood and plastic materials. For this purpose, control particleboards and nonwoven web composites from wood particle and polypropylene fiber formulations of 100:0, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50 were manufactured at target density levels of 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8 g/cm³. Their water absorption and thickness swelling were tested according to ASTMD 1037-93 (1995). To elucidate thickness swelling mechanism of composite through the observation of morphological change of internal structures, the specimens before and after thickness swelling test by 24-hour immersion in water were used in scanning electron microscopy. From the scanning electron microscopy, thickness swelling of composite was thought to be caused by the complicated factors of degree of built-up internal stresses by mat compression and/or amount of wood particles encapsulated with molten polypropylene fibers during hot pressing. In the composites with wood particle contents of 50 to 60% at target densities of 0.5 to 0.8 g/cm³ and with wood particle content of 70% at target densities of 0.5 to 0.7 g/cm³, thickness swellings seemed to be largely dependent upon the restricted water uptake by encapsulated wood particles with molten polypropylene fibers. Thickness swelling in the composite with wood particle content of 70% at target density of 0.8 g/cm³, however, was thought to be principally dependent upon the increased springback phenomenon by built-up internal stresses of compressed mat.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.36-46
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• 2001

This study was to find a way of reusing wood and plastic wastes, which considered as a troublesome problem to be solved in this age of mass production and consumption, in manufacturing wood fiber-polypropylene fiber composite panel. And the feasibility of this composite panel as a substitute for existing headliner base panel of automobile was also discussed, especially based on physical and mechanical performance. Nonwoven web composite panels were made from wood fiber and polypropylene fiber formulations of 50 : 50, 60 : 40, and 70 : 30, based on oven-dry weight, with densities of 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7 g/$cm^3$. At the same density levels, control fiberboards were also manufactured for performance comparison with the composite panels. Their physical and mechanical properties were tested according to ASTM D 1037-93. To elucidate thickness swelling mechanism of composite panel through the observation of morphological change of internal structures, the specimens before and after thickness swelling test by 24-hour immersion in water were used in scanning electron microscopy. Test results in this study showed that nonwoven web composite panel from wood fibers and polypropylene fibers had superior physical and mechanical properties to control fiberboard. In the physical properties of composite panel, dimensional stability improved as the content of polypropylene fiber increased, and the formulation of wood fiber and polypropylene fiber was considered to be a significant factor in the physical properties. Water absorption decreased but thickness swelling slightly increased with the increase of panel density. In the mechanical properties of composite panel, the bending modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE) appeared to improve with the increase of panel density under all the tested conditions of dry, heated, and wet. The formulation of wood fiber and polypropylene fiber was considered not to be a significant factor in the mechanical properties. All the bending MOR values under the dry, heated, and wet conditions met the requirements in the existing headliner base panel of resin felt.