| 1. |
- Afewerki, Samson, et al.
(författare)
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Combined Catalysis for Engineering Bioinspired, Lignin-Based, Long-Lasting, Adhesive, Self-Mending, Antimicrobial Hydrogels
- 2020
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Ingår i: ACS Nano. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1936-0851 .- 1936-086X. ; 14:12, s. 17004-17017
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The engineering of multifunctional biomaterials using a facile sustainable methodology that follows the principles of green chemistry is still largely unexplored but would be very beneficial to the world. Here, the employment of catalytic reactions in combination with biomass-derived starting materials in the design of biomaterials would promote the development of eco-friendly technologies and sustainable materials. Herein, we disclose the combination of two catalytic cycles (combined catalysis) comprising oxidative decarboxylation and quinone-catechol redox catalysis for engineering lignin-based multifunctional antimicrobial hydrogels. The bioinspired design mimics the catechol chemistry employed by marine mussels in nature. The resultant multifunctional sustainable hydrogels (1) are robust and elastic, (2) have strong antimicrobial activity, (3) are adhesive to skin tissue and various other surfaces, and (4) are able to self-mend. A systematic characterization was carried out to fully elucidate and understand the facile and efficient catalytic strategy and the subsequent multifunctional materials. Electron paramagnetic resonance analysis confirmed the long-lasting quinone-catechol redox environment within the hydrogel system. Initial in vitro biocompatibility studies demonstrated the low toxicity of the hydrogels. This proof-of-concept strategy could be developed into an important technological platform for the eco-friendly, bioinspired design of other multifunctional hydrogels and their use in various biomedical and flexible electronic applications.
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| 2. |
- Bengtsson, Rhodel, et al.
(författare)
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A basic orthotropic viscoelastic model for composite and wood materials considering available experimental data and time-dependent Poisson's ratios
- 2020
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Ingår i: IOP Conference Series. - : IOP Publishing. - 1757-8981 .- 1757-899X. ; 942
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Long-term deformation in creep is of significant engineering importance. For anisotropic materials, such as wood, composites and reinforced concrete, creep testing in several axial directions including shear is necessary to obtain a creep model which is able to predict deformation in the basic orthotropic case. Such a full set of experimental data is generally not available, and simplifying assumptions are typically made to conceive a useful 3D model. These assumptions should preferably be made based on the material behaviour and sound engineering arguments. This problem appears to be addressed in many different ways and sometimes the assumptions are not well justified. In the present study, we examine 3D creep of wood and composite materials. Particular emphasis is made on explaining the choices made in developing the model, considering practicality, incomplete material data and the specific behaviour of wood and composites. An orthotropic linear viscoelastic model is implemented as a material model in a commercial FE software. The constitutive equations are derived in the 1D case using a hereditary approach, then later generalized to the 3D formulation. Guidelines are shown how to implement it into the FE software to predict creep of components and structures. Although the model itself is conventional, the effect of considering time-dependent Poisson's ratios is investigated here, as well an optimization approach when inserting inevitably asymmetric experimental creep data into the model. As far as the authors know, creep of wooden materials have not been defined using this approach before. The model of interest is calibrated against experimental data. Examples using experimental results from solid wood data and a unidirectional fiber composite are demonstrated. The results show that the model is able to capture the orthotropic behaviour adequately. Orthotropy requires symmetry of the creep compliance matrix, which typically is not the case experimentally. It is shown that in rendering the matrix symmetric, one needs to decide which direction is more important. It is also shown that the frequently employed assumption of constant Poisson's ratios should be made with caution.
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| 3. |
- Bengtsson, Rhodel, et al.
(författare)
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An applicable orthotropic creep model for wood materials and composites
- 2022
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Ingår i: Wood Science and Technology. - : Springer Nature. - 0043-7719 .- 1432-5225. ; 56:6, s. 1585-1604
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the engineering importance of creep of composite materials and other fibrous anisotropic load-carrying materials like wood, there is an apparent lack in useful experimental data in 3D. Proposed creep models are generally not commensurate with realistic data from experimental characterization. In the present study, an orthotropic linear viscoelastic model is presented and examined on its performance of predicting the time-dependent nature of wood and composite materials. The constitutive equations are presented using the hereditary approach. A clear description of the finite element implementation of the material model is given. Since constant Poisson's ratios are a common assumption for viscoelastic composites due to lack of data, this study presents the effects of time-dependent Poisson's ratio in the study. The model is calibrated against inevitably asymmetric experimental creep data using an optimization approach. With time-dependent Poisson's ratios, the results show that the model is able to simultaneously capture the time-dependent behaviour in three material axis of orthotropic materials such as European beech wood and a fibre-reinforced composite. However, a relatively poor match was found when the Poisson's ratios were set to be constant. Thus, the frequently employed assumption of constant Poisson's ratios should be made with caution.
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| 4. |
- Bengtsson, Rhodel, et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of measured creep in a wooden beam with finite element predictions based on orthotropic viscoelastic material model
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Creep is of concern for long-term deformations of wooden structures. Since wood is anisotropic and creeps in several material directions, it may not be sufficient to include only axial creep along the grain even for deformations in beam-like components. A bottle-neck is that creep characterisation in all material directions is both costly and complicated. Multiscale modelling from cell-wall creep including the main contributing features (density, ray content, microfibrillar angle) can contribute to fill to complete material models for wood creep. In the present study, we have chosen a four-point bending test of a Norway spruce beam to represent a loaded wooden component in a structure. Digital image correlation was used to gather data on strain and displacement fields during the creep test. The experimental results were compared with finite element predictions based on a 3D orthotropic viscoelastic model obtained by multiscale homogenisation. There was generally good agreement in the strain fields between the finite element simulations and experimental observations. However, the numerical predictions exhibits slightly greater stiffness in terms of displacement, suggesting the need for further refinement of the multiscale model or a combination of materials creep charactrisation and multiscale modelling.
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| 5. |
- Bengtsson, Rhodel
(författare)
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Creep aspects of softwood from the cell-wall level to structures
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis addresses the intricate mechanical behaviour of natural materials, with a particular focus on wood. Despite millennia of use, understanding the mechanical behaviour of wood materials remains challenging due to their complex microstructures. For instance, they exhibit variations in properties among samples, nonlinear behaviour under elevated loads, and are sensitive to alterations in moisture content.Wood and related natural biobased materials hold immense potential due to their renewability, cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, and ease of use in sustainable construction. Wood boasts remarkable stiffness and strength along its primary axis, surpassing many man-made materials in strength-to-weight ratios. However, its anisotropic and heterogeneous nature gives rise to challenges, necessitating the consideration of multiple parameters for accurate characterization to be used in design.Wood is intrinsically heterogeneous, leading to considerable variations in local stresses and deformations during loading. To address these microstructural effects on macroscopically measurable phenomena, mathematical homogenization methods, established since the 1970s, have found applications in material mechanics, including both fibre composites and wood.In recent years, there has been a growing focus on the viscoelastic behaviour of composites and timber structures, given their increased long-term use in load-carrying applications. While numerous investigations have explored the relationship between the microstructure of wood and its elastic properties, few studies have explored the connection between microstructure and viscoelastic properties.The thesis focuses on the static and, more notably, on the time-dependent mechanical properties of wood, bridging the gap from cell-wall creep to structures. It includes experiments and numerical work, culminating in the development of a material model suitable for orthotropic materials like wood. The multiscale model establishes a link between microstructural parameters and macroscopic properties, potentially applicable to various softwood species. Given the lack of shear creep data in the literature, the thesis introduces straightforward methods to characterize shear creep properties, addressing a significant knowledge gap.Furthermore, the thesis progresses from material-level experiments to higher length scales, demonstrating how the results can be applied to larger wooden structures, such as the tower for a counter-rotating axis tilted turbine. While these results require further validation in the absence of experimental data for wooden wind turbine structures, they offer useful insights into simulating creep behaviour in such applications.In conclusion, this thesis highlights the multifaceted nature of a natural material like wood, its mechanical challenges, and the promising research avenues for comprehensive understanding and practical use. The outcome provides contributions to the efficient utilization of wood in load-carrying structures and underlines the importance of ongoing research in this field.
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| 6. |
- Bengtsson, Rhodel, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluating the viscoelastic shear properties of clear wood via off-axis compression testing and digital-image correlation
- 2023
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Ingår i: Mechanics of time-dependant materials. - 1385-2000 .- 1573-2738.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Highly anisotropic materials like wood and unidirectional polymer composite structures are sensitive to shear deformations, in particular close to fixed joints. Large wooden structures in buildings and, e.g. wind-turbine blades, are designed to last for decades, and hence are susceptible to unwanted creep deformations. For improved structural design, the shear-creep properties of the material are needed. These are rarely available in the literature, possibly because of technical difficulties to achieve a well-defined shear-stress state in test specimens. For cost-efficient testing, this goal of a pure stress state necessarily needs to be compromised. In the present study, we propose a simple test method based on uniaxial compression on wooden cubes, but is equally applicable for fibre composites. The viscoelastic shear properties of Norway spruce (Picea abies) under off-axis creep compression tests have been characterised in all three directions. The tests are performed in a controlled climate chamber and the creep strains are captured using digital-image correlation.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Bengtsson, Rhodel, et al.
(författare)
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Feasiblity of wooden towers for offshore wind turbines: Creep and fatigue predictions
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Long-term experiences with vertical axis wind turbines constructed with wood are positive, and show that wood towers are a viable alternative to conventional steel towers on land. Wood is a renewable material in contrast to steel and concrete and could steer a more sustainable use of raw material for future wind farms. The obvious drawback of moisture-induced softening and degradation in off-shore settings can be mitigated by efficiently sealing the tower using a barrier coating. In that case, fatigue sensitivity and creep deformations are the main design concerns. In this paper through finite element simulations of a floating tilted vertical-axis wind turbine, it was shown that fatigue issues can be resolved with proper design of the mast and the blade joints keeping the stress concentrations at bay. The numerical results also indicated that creep displacements are negligible. The review and calculations reinforce the assumption that the fast developments seen in timber high-rise building can also be expected for off-shore wind turbine towers.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Bengtsson, Rhodel, et al.
(författare)
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Viscoelastic behavior of softwood based on a multiscale computational homogenization
- 2023
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Ingår i: Mechanics of materials. - : Elsevier. - 0167-6636 .- 1872-7743. ; 179
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the present study, a numerical multiscale model is made to show how the hierarchical structure of softwood affect its macroscopic viscoelastic properties. The performance of the model is demonstrated for two softwood species — Norway spruce and Japanese cypress, whose creep behavior has been characterized experimentally. The results show that by using the same transversely isotropic viscous properties of the cell wall for both species, it is possible to predict creep deformation relatively close to experimental creep measurements for both species. Assuming that the variability is larger on the microstructural level (density, cell-wall geometry, microfibril angle, composition of wood tissues) than on the cell-wall level, it is possible to predict the macroscopic creep behavior based on the microstructural parameters alone. Such predictions can potentially save cost and time, since creep characterization in all material directions is demanding.
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