Innovative Conversion of Pretreated Buxus sinica into High-Performance Biocomposites for Potential Use as Furniture Material

The influencing mechanism of thermo-oxidative aging of waste cotton textiles on mechanical properties of their regenerated fibers

Recycling and reuse of waste cotton textiles reduces environmental pollution and lowers energy consumption. Presently, researchers have conducted a lot of studies on the reuse of waste cotton textiles, but there are fewer studies on how the degree of their aging affects the properties of the regenerated fibers. In particular, the higher the degree of aging, the greater the change of physical and chemical properties of them. In this paper, ionic liquids were used to dissolve cotton textiles with different degree of aging, and the effect of aging degree of cotton textiles on the viscosity of spinning solution was investigated. The regenerated fibers were produced using wet spinning, and their mechanical and chemical properties were characterized. When comparing regenerated fibers made from unaged cotton textiles with those made from cotton textiles aged at 200 °C, the tensile strength of the regenerated fibers decreases from 204.83 MPa to 47.50 MPa. By molecular dynamics simulation, the aging process of cotton textiles under different temperature conditions was explored, at high temperatures, cellulose molecular chains break, resulting in reduced mechanical properties. Therefore, selecting waste cotton textiles with the appropriate degree of aging based on the recycling purpose can facilitate the efficient use of waste textiles.

Interface-Engineered Manufacturing of Gradient Wood with Heterogeneous Structure for Lightweight and Sustainable Structural Materials

Developing sustainable structural materials to replace traditional carbon-intensive structural materials fundamentally reshapes the concept of circular development. Herein, we propose an interface engineering strategy that utilizes water as a liquid medium to replace the residual air within natural wood. This approach minimizes the absorption of water-based softening agents by microcapillary channels of wood, enabling the controlled softening of the cell walls. The resulting spatially heterogeneous structure, induced by surface densification, effectively enhances the mechanical strength of the gradient wood by mitigating strain localization and minimizing damage accumulation. Gradient wood demonstrates a high flexural strength (193.24 ± 12.16 MPa), compressive strength (91.18 ± 2.82 MPa), low density (0.77 g/cm3), and excellent fatigue resistance. Moreover, the dense structure eliminates gaps between wood lumens at the surface of the gradient wood, effectively preventing oxygen infiltration. This gradient wood, characterized by high strength and resistance to combustion, holds significant potential for applications in advanced engineering structures fields.

Recent advances in the control of volatile organic compounds emissions from indoor wood-based panels: A comprehensive review

Wood-based panels provide efficient alternatives to materials such as plastics derived from traditional petroleum sources and thereby help to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, using indoor manufactured panel products also results in significant emissions of volatile organic compounds including olefins, aromatic and ester compounds, which negatively affect human health. This paper highlights recent developments and notable achievements in the field of indoor hazardous air treatment technologies to guide future research toward environmentally friendly and economically feasible directions that may have a significant impact on the improvement of human settlements. Summarizing and synthesizing the principles, advantages, and limitations of different technologies can assist policymakers and engineers in identifying the most appropriate technology for a particular air pollution control program based on criteria such as cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and environmental impact. In addition, insights into the development of indoor air pollution control technologies are provided and potential areas for innovation, improvement of existing technologies, and development of new technologies are identified. Finally, the authors also hope that this sub-paper will raise public awareness of indoor air pollution issues and promote a better understanding of the importance of indoor air pollution control technologies for public health, environmental protection, and sustainable development.