Search results for "Wood"

Ancient wood of the Acqualadrone rostrum: Materials history through gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and sulfur X-ray absorption spectroscopy

2012

In 2008 the rostrum from an ancient warship was recovered from the Mediterranean near Acqualadrone, Sicily. To establish its provenance and condition, samples of black and brown rostrum wood were examined using sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). GC/MS of pyrolytic volatiles yielded only guaiacyl derivatives, indicating construction from pinewood. A derivatized extract of black wood yielded forms of abietic acid and sandaracopimaric acid consistent with pine pitch waterproofing. Numerical fits to the sulfur K-edge XAS spectra showed that about 65% of the endogenous sulfur consisted of thiols and disulfides. Elemental sulfur was…

Influence of Elevated Pressure on the Torrefaction of Wood

2016

The use of pressurized reactors in industrial processes can improve efficiency and economics. Torrefaction is a partial pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass designed to result in a solid product with improved fuel properties for utilization in combustion and gasification. In this work, the influence of elevated pressure on the torrefaction of wood has been investigated. Wood samples were torrefied using a pressurized thermogravimetric reactor (PTGR) with pressures of 0.1 to 2.1 MPa. The results indicate that reactor pressure, particle size of feedstock, and wood species are all factors in torrefaction yield improvements. Torrefaction at 2.1 MPa pressure improved the higher heating value (ca…

A HS-SPME-GC-MS analysis of IR heated wood: Impact of the water content on the depth profile of oak wood aromas extractability

2013

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996913003736; International audience; Controlled and reproducible IR heat treatments were applied to oak wood surfaces in order to establish a depth-profiled picture of the extractability of volatile compounds, with particular emphasis on the impact of the initial water content. Headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) has been used to compare the concentrations of six aroma compounds (vanillin, furfural, eugenol; guaiacol and cis- and trans-whisky lactones) in hydroalcoholic extracts of series of slices representative of the first 8 mm of the wood facing the IR source. Results…

Dry vs soaked wood: Modulating the volatile extractible fraction of oak wood by heat treatments

2012

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the water content of wood on the concentrations of volatile compounds which can be extracted after heat treatments. Head Space-Solid Phase Micro Extraction Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME GC-MS) has been used to compare the concentrations of six aroma compounds (vanillin, furfural, eugenol, guaiacol and cis- and trans-whisky lactones) in hydroalcoholic extracts of heated oak wood samples either previously soaked in hot water or not. Except for eugenol, concentrations of extracted aromas appeared to be lower in soaked woods than in dry woods for temperatures up to 200 °C. If a delaying effect of water could explain s…

How to predict the odor profile of wine from its chemical composition? In silico modelling using experts' knowledge, fuzzy logic and optimization

2017

International audience

Neolithic Human Societies and Woodlands in the North-Western Mediterranean Region: Wood and Charcoal Analysis

2017

An overview of woodland history in the north-western Mediterranean region, based on charcoal analysis (Anthracology) from Mesolithic and Neolithic sites, is proposed for the Mediterranean areas of France, Spain and Portugal. The taxonomic identification of charcoal fragments and the diachronic variations of taxa frequencies provide, for each settlement, an accurate image of the local vegetal cover. During the end of the last glaciation, beginning of the Holocene, vegetation dynamics reflects the evolution of climatic and geographic conditions. Any potential ecological impact by hunter-fisher-gatherer communities (Mesolithic) remains invisible; the same comment applies to the farming-herding…

The human OR1G1 olfactory receptor is differentially activated by various sandalwood odorants. A joint approach combining in silico and in vitro expe…

2013

International audience; Sandalwood is a highly valuable component in perfumery. The action mode of sandalwood odorant molecules remains to be addressed. In fact, olfactory receptors involved in their perception have not yet been identified. The interaction of a human olfactory receptor, hOR1G1, with sandalwood odorants has been investigated. By means of cellular biology and functional tests experiments, we provide an additional insight to our atomic model of OR1G1 and our olfactophore approach performed on various odorants. The studied odorants cover a wide range of structures and sandalwood intensities. We experimentally show that beta-santalol is a strong agonist of hOR1G1, contrarily to …

Evolution and management of humid landscapes in Northern Dauphiné (Rhône valley, France): contribution of charcoal and wood studies

2011

International audience; Evolution and management of humid landscapes in Northern Dauphiné (Rhône valley, France): contribution of charcoal and wood studies

Exil à Hollywood : Korngold et la musique de film de l'âge d'or hollywoodien

2012

Conception of a territorial observation and prospective tool for energy. The case of fuelwood.

2008

International audience; Decentralized energy planning has been emerged in France since the last three decades especially due to the development of renewable energies. One corollary is the increase of local actors' role in energy and land planning. In order to help them carrying out efficient policies, decision support systems (DSS) have been developed. In this paper, the authors deal with a DSS applied to fuelwood sector.