Processing of pine wood chips in a pilot-scale downdraft gasifier generated a carbon-rich fly ash as a byproduct. Studies on biomass-derived fly ashes have generally focused on their direct characterisation, as generated, to develop options for utilisation or disposal. Analogous to studies on coal-derived fly ashes, strategies were applied here to assess the feasibility of isolating chars for v...

Ash species (Fraxinus spp.) in Europe are threatened by the Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis, EAB), an invasive wood boring beetle native to East Asia and currently spreading from European Russia westwards. Based on a high-resolution habitat distribution map (grid cell size: 25 × 25 m) and data on distribution and abundance of Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior), the most widespread and highl...

This paper proposes, for low buildings, an integrated wall structure of a brick-stem-insulating layer, which plays a major part in both heat preservation and force bearing. The research team has tested the thermal performance of the structure, the results of which are satisfying. To further study the force-bearing performance, the paper carries out compressive tests of specimens of different st...

Waste residues produced by agricultural and forestry industries can generate energy and are regarded as a promising source of sustainable fuels. Pyrolysis, where waste biomass is heated under low-oxygen conditions, has recently attracted attention as a means to add value to these residues. The material is carbonized and yields a solid product known as biochar. In this study, eight types of biom...

One hundred and forty-one glass fragments from medieval Ciudad de Vascos (Toledo, Spain) were analysed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The glasses fall into three types according to the fluxing agents used: mineral natron, soda-rich plant ash, and a combination of soda ash and lead. The natron glasses can be assigned to various established primary pro...

In this study, Wood Ash (WA) prepared from the uncontrolled burning of the saw dust is evaluated for its suitability as partial cement replacement in conventional concrete. The saw dust has been acquired from a wood polishing unit. The physical, chemical and mineralogical characteristics of WA is presented and analyzed. The strength parameters (compressive strength, split tensile strength and f...

Frequent increase in the price of cement and other building materials across Nigeria has reawakened serious need to relate research to production, especially in the use of locally available materials as alternatives for construction of functional but low-cost dwellings in both rural and urban areas in the country. This article aimed at prediction and optimizing compressive strength of concrete ...

Introduction Invasive alien species can have devastating consequences on native biodiversity, ecosystem and evolutionary processes (Lovett et al. 2006, McNeely 2001, Mooney and Cleland 2001). In the United States alone, economic costs associated with environmental damages and losses as a result of invasive species have been estimated to total between $120-137 billion per year (Pimentel et al. 2...

Longitudinal compression can help wood form some folds on the wood cell walls after a suitable softening procedure. These folds can enhance the oneand multi-dimensional bending performances of wood. The longitudinal compression properties of alkali-treated juvenile and mature northeast Chinese ash (Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr.) were analyzed. Elastic and elastic-plastic stages were inferred from ...