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The work presented here focuses on the, incorporation of an engineered polysaccharide polymer, α-1,3-glucan, derived from the enzymatic polymerization of sucrose, as a performance-enhancing additive for commercial, latex-based wood adhesives used in wood bonding applications. Adhesive performance was measured on hard maple (Acer saccharum) using ASTM Standard Method D-905. Dynamic mechanical analysis and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were the characterization techniques used to assess the properties of room-temperature–cured adhesive films. Significant increases in shear stress were observed for these formulated latex adhesives containing the polysaccharide polymer.

Maple and poplar are common names of species that grow in the eastern United States. Physical and mechanical properties were evaluated from small clear wood specimens of hard maple (Acer saccharum) and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). Specific gravity, static bending strength and modulus of elasticity, compression parallel and perpendicular to grain, and Janka hardness were tested. The experiments were carried out on defect-free specimens extracted from boards supplied by members of the Staircase Manufacturers Association. The material was donated by companies located in the eastern United States. On the basis of the findings, it can be stated that mechanical properties for maple and yellow poplar have not changed substantially because the average values remain in a range that is very close to the values published in previous studies.

In this article, we report on the effect of internal log defect scanning on the gain in lumber value recovery for five hardwood species, consisting of black cherry, hard maple, yellow poplar, red oak, and white oak logs. A total of 29 logs, 6 logs per species and 2 logs each for log Grades 1, 2, and 3, were scanned with a medical X-ray computed tomography scanner to acquire their cross-sectional images. The one exception being for red oak logs, for which we scanned two Grade 1 logs, one Grade 2 log, and two Grade 3 logs. These logs were then sawn in the sawmill to determine the actual value recovered from each log. Virtual logs constructed with the scanning images of these logs were then sawn on the computer using the TOPSAW software. Based on simple live sawing simulations, overall the average value gain for all species and grades was 46%, while the gains for black cherry, hard maple, yellow poplar, red oak, and white oak were 42, 33, 83, 24, and 60 percent, respectively. The average gains for Grades 1, ...