European Journal of Wood and Wood Products最新文献

{"title":"Hydrothermal confinement and delignification assisted silicate stabilization enhance surface hardness and suppress set recovery in plantation grown Chinese fir","authors":"Bingbin Kuai,&nbsp;Yuxuan Huang,&nbsp;Xuexia Zhang,&nbsp;Rilong Yang,&nbsp;Fei Guo,&nbsp;Yan Yu","doi":"10.1007/s00107-026-02512-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00107-026-02512-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Surface densification can improve the surface performance of low density plantation wood, but moisture induced recovery of the compressed layer limits its dimensional stability. Here, localized surface hydration and asymmetric platen heating were combined with partial delignification and sodium silicate impregnation to produce and stabilize a surface densified layer in plantation grown Chinese fir while retaining a lower density core. Hydrothermal confinement generated an effective densification depth of 4.2–5.3 mm within the final 18 mm thickness. For the hydrothermal confinement series, an initial confinement temperature of 140 °C increased surface hardness from 708 N in untreated wood to 1784 N, with apparent dry-state recovery of 47.3% after the third wet-dry cycle. The maximum mean MOR of 85.8 MPa occurred at 120 °C. Partial delignification followed by sodium silicate impregnation was associated with greater surface hardness and lower apparent dry-state recovery. Among the tested combined treatment conditions, 6 h of delignification provided the preferred balance between mean surface hardness (2161 N) and apparent dry-state recovery (19.3%) after three wet-dry cycles. Extending delignification to 10 h further lowered apparent dry-state recovery to 9.9% but reduced hardness to 1674 N, indicating a trade off between lower apparent dry-state recovery and surface hardness. Whole specimen mass loss and impregnation associated dry mass gain increased with delignification time. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) detected silicon containing species in the post press surface region. The results demonstrate that moderate localized delignification combined with sodium silicate impregnation can promote surface consolidation and substantially reduce apparent dry-state recovery without densifying the entire wood cross section.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":550,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Wood and Wood Products","volume":"84 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Finite element modeling of fatigue damage progression in unglued wooden mortise-tenon joints considering friction coefficient and fit degradation","authors":"Wengang Hu,&nbsp;Pengrui Li,&nbsp;Yan Wang,&nbsp;Jilei Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s00107-026-02514-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00107-026-02514-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study first validated a proposed finite element model for analyzing the fatigue damage progression (FDP) in mortise-tenon (M-T) joints used in furniture frame construction. The required inputs, including the degradation of the friction coefficient and M-T fit, were obtained from experimental data. The validated model was then used to simulate the effects of cyclic load amplitude (CLA: 150, 200, 250, and 300 N) on key FDP-related parameters, including contact open distance, surface contact status, contact area, contact pressure, hysteresis curve, and internal energy, which are commonly used to characterize FDP in M-T joints. The simulation results indicate that FDP in M-T joints can be divided into three distinct stages: sticking, transition from sticking to detaching (TFSD), and sliding, defined by characteristic points identified from the slopes of the contact open distance versus cyclic load count ratio (CLCR) curves. Under low cyclic loads (150 N and 200 N), the CLCR ranges corresponding to sticking, TFSD, and sliding stages approximately span 0–50%, 50–80%, and 80–100% of the fatigue life, respectively. Under higher cyclic loads (250 N and 300 N), these stages occur earlier, covering approximately 0–30%, 30–75%, and 75–100% of the fatigue life. Furthermore, contact pressure, contact area, and internal energy decrease exponentially with increasing CLCR. At a given characteristic point, contact pressure, contact area, internal energy, maximum principle tensile stress, and joint rotation increase with increasing CLA. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the FDP of M-T joints under reversed cyclic loading.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":550,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Wood and Wood Products","volume":"84 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Weather-induced colour change in wood: material response in different European locations","authors":"Jakub Sandak,&nbsp;Richard Acquah,&nbsp;Edit Földvári-Nagy,&nbsp;Anna Sandak,&nbsp;Ahmet Can,&nbsp;Hüseyin Sivrikaya,&nbsp;Aleksandra Marszall,&nbsp;Bruno Andersons,&nbsp;Eduard Correal Mòdol,&nbsp;Electra Papadopoulou,&nbsp;Ender Hazir,&nbsp;Gianluca Tondi,&nbsp;Graham Alan Ormondroyd,&nbsp;Morwenna Spear,&nbsp;Holger Militz,&nbsp;Inge Wuijtens,&nbsp;Ingunn Burud,&nbsp;Izabela Modzelewska,&nbsp;Marco Fellin,&nbsp;Martino Negri,&nbsp;Marion Noël,&nbsp;Miklós Bak,&nbsp;Róbert Németh,&nbsp;Rafael de Avila Delucis,&nbsp;Rene Herrera Diaz,&nbsp;Ilaria Santoni,&nbsp;Athanasios Dimitriou","doi":"10.1007/s00107-026-02508-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00107-026-02508-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the colour evolution of Norway spruce wood during one year of natural weathering across multiple European locations as part of a Round Robin experiment. Colour measurements (<i>CIE Lab</i>) were performed on samples with monthly-resolved exposure duration to quantify discolouration and determine total colour change (<i>ΔE</i>). The results show that weathering induces rapid colour modification, with the most pronounced changes occurring within the first month of exposure. A clear two‑stage behaviour was identified: an initial colour‑enrichment phase, characterised by increases in <i>CIE a</i> and <i>CIE b</i>, followed by progressive decolouration and greying, reflected primarily through decreases in <i>CIE L</i>. Although the fundamental mechanisms of photodegradation were consistent across all sites, the rate and extent of discolouration varied substantially with local climatic conditions. Samples exposed in Turkey exhibited the highest <i>ΔE</i> values, whereas those in the UK showed the lowest. This difference is consistent with expected climatic variations in solar radiation, moisture conditions, and temperature fluctuations between the two locations, which are known to influence weathering kinetics. The dataset provides a robust basis for linking colour change and its dynamics with site‑specific climate parameters enabling the development of a dedicated dose-response model.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":550,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Wood and Wood Products","volume":"84 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00107-026-02508-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149338300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effect of specimen geometry on wood shrinkage and collapse in Eucalyptus grandis","authors":"G. P. Dowse,&nbsp;B. M. Balboni,&nbsp;C. B. Wessels","doi":"10.1007/s00107-026-02501-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00107-026-02501-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Eucalyptus</i> is the most widely planted hardwood genus globally and an important source of industrial roundwood. In many <i>Eucalyptus</i> species, a substantial proportion of shrinkage arises from cell collapse occurring above the fibre saturation point (FSP). Shrinkage and collapse are commonly evaluated using increment cores or small specimens prepared as wedges or strips, yet the influence of specimen geometry on measured responses remains poorly understood. This study investigated the effect of specimen geometry on shrinkage and collapse behaviour in <i>Eucalyptus grandis</i>. Specimens from five trees were dried from the green state to an operational fibre saturation point and subsequently to oven-dry condition. Collapse-induced shrinkage was defined as shrinkage occurring above FSP, while normal cell-wall shrinkage occurred below FSP. The effects of longitudinal length, tangential length and specimen shape (wedge versus strip) were evaluated. Mean radial shrinkage and radial collapse did not differ significantly between wedge- and strip-shaped specimens. Tangential collapse was greater in wedges based on specimen means, although this difference was not significant when analysed using tree means. Longitudinal length had a significant but non-linear influence on collapse and total shrinkage, with 70 mm specimens generally showing the highest collapse, 45 mm specimens the lowest, and 20 mm specimens intermediate values. Tangential length had no significant effect over the tested range. Wedge and strip specimens also exhibited contrasting pith-to-bark trends in tangential collapse, indicating that specimen shape influenced pith-to-bark collapse profiles. These findings demonstrate that specimen geometry is not a neutral sampling consideration and can influence measured collapse behaviour in <i>Eucalyptus grandis</i>. Longitudinal length and specimen shape should therefore be standardised and reported explicitly when comparing results among studies or using laboratory specimens in breeding and screening programmes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":550,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Wood and Wood Products","volume":"84 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00107-026-02501-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149235025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating the effect of densification on heat release rate and total smoke release in cross-laminated timber: experimental and machine learning approaches","authors":"Charles Michael Albert,&nbsp;Kang Chiang Liew","doi":"10.1007/s00107-026-02511-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00107-026-02511-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Timber, a popular construction material, has limited application due to its vulnerability to fire. Hence, the flammability behaviour of timber is continuously studied to enhance its fire resistance. This study introduces a short-duration densification process that compresses low-density timber, enhancing its physicomechanical and flammability properties and making it suitable for heavy-duty applications. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of compression ratios on the heat release rate (HRR) and total smoke release (TSR) of the cross-laminated timber (CLT) manufactured from the laminas of <i>Paraserianthes falcataria</i>, a low-density, fast-growing timber species. The laminas were compressed at varying compression ratios (40%, 50%, 60%), processed into CLT panels, and subjected to cone calorimeter test. The findings indicated that increasing compression ratios significantly increased density, whereas compressing the laminas at 60% resulted in a density improvement of up to 142.68%. Furthermore, the cone calorimeter test showed that increasing the compression ratio progressively reduced the heat release rate (HRR) and total smoke release (TSR), with 60% compression producing the largest reduction, indicating reduced fire intensity and smoke generation. Furthermore, machine learning models (Random Forest and eXtreme Gradient Boosting) were developed to estimate the HRR and TSR of the CLT. These advanced regression approaches provide valuable insights into the heat spread and smoke generation behaviour of CLT, potentially improving the accuracy of predictions for essential fire safety parameters.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":550,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Wood and Wood Products","volume":"84 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149235086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of charred wood layers produced by two distinct high‑temperature treatment methods","authors":"Lucie Zárybnická,&nbsp;Jozef Ráheľ,&nbsp;Petra Mácová,&nbsp;Barbora Mayer,&nbsp;Radek Ševčík,&nbsp;Filip Šiška,&nbsp;František Krčma","doi":"10.1007/s00107-026-02502-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00107-026-02502-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Developing innovative solutions for the thermal treatment of wood surfaces is a current research topic. In this regard, charring wooden boards represents a satisfactory compromise, providing adequate protection for the wood surface. However, this technique is inconsistent. An alternative approach is wood pyrolysis using the contact hot plate method, which has been shown to provide reasonably good wood protection while maintaining sufficient mechanical properties when applied correctly. The objective of the present study was to investigate an innovative technique employing arc-discharge charring. The primary motivation of this study was to develop in-depth knowledge and to present new possibilities that could replace the above-mentioned techniques. The study analysed the structure and roughness of thermally treated wooden surfaces using microscopic techniques. Furthermore, the specimens were examined cross-sectionally to determine and characterise changes in the depth profile. The mechanical properties at the microstructural level were evaluated using nanoindentation, while Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was used to analyse changes in chemical composition after treatment. The data obtained provide valuable insights into structural changes that can be used to optimise technological processes for wood conservation and surface treatment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":550,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Wood and Wood Products","volume":"84 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149235085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bio-based adhesives from distillers’ dried grains and soybean for wood composites:review on performance and sustainability","authors":"Ayyüce Güzide Teke,&nbsp;Burak Aksoy,&nbsp;Carlos Diaz-Acosta,&nbsp;Bilge Nazli Altay","doi":"10.1007/s00107-026-02507-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00107-026-02507-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This review reports recent progress in the development of bio-based adhesives derived from agricultural byproducts, with emphasis on distillers’ dried grains (DDG) and soybean (SB) based systems for wood composite (WC) applications. Chemical modifications, enzymatic treatment, and hybrid formulations are examined for their ability to enhance bonding performance, moisture resistance, and durability. Performance is systematically benchmarked against conventional petroleum-based resins such as phenol–formaldehyde and polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, which currently dominate the WC industry. Drawing on standardized testing (ASTM, EN) and life-cycle assessments, the review highlights mechanical properties, water resistance, environmental impacts, and industrial readiness of bio-based adhesive categories. Finally, the review emphasizes pathways toward formaldehyde-free adhesives for sustainable WC, outline future research priorities, and positions DDG and SB derived adhesives as key enablers of the circular bioeconomy for WC manufacturing.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":550,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Wood and Wood Products","volume":"84 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00107-026-02507-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149235024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In situ polymerization of PEGDA/MMA network in sliced wood for high flexibility and thermally induced shape memory functionality","authors":"Nan Ohnmar-Kyaw,&nbsp;Xin Ren,&nbsp;Fei Wang,&nbsp;Xinxing Wu,&nbsp;Haoliang Zhang,&nbsp;Xinnan Bao,&nbsp;Hui Wang,&nbsp;Yan Zhang,&nbsp;Jun Qian,&nbsp;Fangli Sun,&nbsp;Shuaibo Han","doi":"10.1007/s00107-026-02503-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00107-026-02503-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sliced wood veneer maintains the natural texture and color of wood, but its lack of flexibility and difficulty in shaping limit its potential applications. In this study, a modified sliced wood veneer was successfully fabricated by employing NaOH hydrothermal pretreatment and in situ polymerization with a reactive monomer solution of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA), with FTIR, DMA, and SEM analyses performed to systematically reveal its chemical structure, thermomechanical behavior, and microscopic morphology. The results showed that the modified sliced wood veneer possessed excellent thermally induced shape memory properties, with a shape recovery ratio of 99.6% and a shape fixity ratio of 97.9%, retaining high recovery efficiency and fixed over 12 consecutive cycles. Moreover, in the transverse direction, the fracture diameter of the sliced veneer at 130 °C was reduced from 12.2 mm to 1.4 mm, indicating a significant enhancement in flexibility. The transverse and longitudinal tensile strengths of the modified sliced veneer were also improved by 37.3% and 12.9% by combining NaOH hydrothermal pretreatment and in situ polymerization, respectively. This approach improves the performance of wood and broadens the potential applications of sliced wood veneer in fields such as architecture, interior decoration, and transportation interiors.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":550,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Wood and Wood Products","volume":"84 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149235023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Time-dependent reversal of water-absorption performance in citric acid–xylitol–modified Scots pine across processing pathways","authors":"Hakan Aydogan,&nbsp;Osman Emre Özkan","doi":"10.1007/s00107-026-02510-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00107-026-02510-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Citric acid (CA)–polyol systems offer promising formaldehyde-free wood modification, yet early liquid-water suppression does not guarantee long-term stability under prolonged wetting. This study evaluated the time-dependent water-absorption behavior of Scots pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.) sapwood impregnated with 18% (w/v) CA: xylitol (CA: XYL) formulations at three ratios: A (5:1), B (2:1), and C (1:1), and thermally cured at 170 °C for 3 h under four processing environments (Dry + Oven, Wet + Oven, Dry + Vacuum, and Wet + Vacuum). Mean chemical retentions ranged from 67.34 to 70.03 kg/m³ with near-neutral post-thermal modification mass loss <span>(:left(0.28%:to:0.19%right))</span>. Repeated-measures linear mixed-effects modeling demonstrated that at 1 h immersion, all treatments significantly reduced water absorption relative to the untreated control <span>(:(28.65:pm::4.04%),)</span> with planned contrasts ranging from <span>(:-20.33)</span> percentage points (pp) for Dry + Oven_A <span>(:(8.33:pm::0.51%))</span> to <span>(:-4.10:pp)</span> for Wet+Vacuum_C (<span>(:24.55:pm::7.69%,:{p}_{Holm}&lt;0.001)</span>). After 40 h, treatment efficacy diverged markedly across pathways and formulation ratios, supported by a significant three-way Time × Environment × Impregnation formulation ratio interaction <span>(:left(Wald{chi:}^{2}right(6):=:25.78,:p:&lt;:0.001;:robust:GEE:p:=:1.72:times:{10}^{-6}))</span>. CA-rich formulation A retained a durable protective effect under dry processing pathways (Dry + Oven_A: <span>(:-14.20:pp)</span>, <span>(:43.87:pm::1.77%;)</span> Dry+Vacuum_A: <span>(:-11.52:pp)</span>, <span>(:46.55:pm::2.57%)</span> vs. control <span>(:58.07:pm::1.69%)</span>), whereas xylitol-rich formulation C exhibited severe performance reversal under extended immersion, culminating in Wet+Vacuum_C (<span>(:+24.95:pp:)</span>above control, <span>(:83.02:pm::3.20%).)</span> These quantitative findings establish that short-term screening is insufficient for CA: XYL systems and that formulation composition and processing pathway must be optimized jointly under service-relevant wetting exposure.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":550,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Wood and Wood Products","volume":"84 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149235022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Date palm wood-based foams with gellan gum binder for enhanced sound and thermal insulation in building applications","authors":"Hyder Al Abdallah,&nbsp;Joy H. Tannous,&nbsp;Basim Abu-Jdayil","doi":"10.1007/s00107-026-02504-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00107-026-02504-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Biofoams are a promising alternative to fossil-fuel-derived materials for heat insulation in construction. However, the processing of biomaterials to produce bioaerogels involves multistep steps, making it costly and complicated. In this study, biofoams were fabricated from biomass without any prior treatment through a simple process. Wood powder obtained from date palm waste was suspended in an aqueous gellan gum solution, gelled, and then freeze-dried. A major advancement in this study is the absence of any chemical treatment or crosslinking agents. In addition, to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to fabricate wood foams using gellan gum. The wood powder obtained from biomass was added to a 1 wt.% aqueous gellan gum solution at concentrations of 2, 3, 4, and 5 wt.% (relative to the mass of the solution). Increasing wood loading from 2 to 5 wt.% raised foam density from 62.68 to 89.44 kg/m³, thermal conductivity from 0.019 to 0.047 W/m·K, and thermal diffusivity from 0.05 to 0.37 mm²/s, while compressive strength at 50% strain rose sharply from 36 kPa at 2 wt.% to 95 kPa at 5 wt.%, indicating a clear trade-off between thermal insulation performance and mechanical strength governed by biomass content. Specific heat capacity followed the inverse trend, decreasing as wood loading increased. The 2 wt.% formulation achieved the lowest density and thermal conductivity values recorded in this study, along with the highest sound absorption coefficient (0.75), identifying it as the most promising composition for thermal and acoustic insulation applications, whereas higher-loading formulations may better suit applications prioritizing compressive strength. The fabricated materials were further characterized using a smoke density tester, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis, confirming the foams' porous structure and thermal stability. The findings of this study demonstrate the high potential for using date palm wood waste as a low-cost, eco-friendly, tunable thermal insulation material in construction, with composition offering a direct route to tailor performance for specific end-use requirements.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":550,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Wood and Wood Products","volume":"84 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149189593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}