When a cutting force is applied to the workpiece in wood cutting processes, stress and strain are distributed near the cutting edge. Fracture occurs and a chip is produced when the local stress and strain exceed the threshold corresponding to the mechanical strength of wood. In order to control the chip production, the strain distribution near the cutting edge is necessary to be controlled, or otherwise machining defects such as torn grain and fuzzy grain may occur. This paper summarized the author's works on the measurement of the strain near the cutting edge in slow-speed orthogonal cutting of wood by using a digital image correlation method.

To establish a method for using reeds (Phragmites australis) is an important issue for realizing appropriate management and conservation of reedbeds. In this study, we conducted fundamental research on the culm geometry and mechanical properties of reeds for the purpose of developing future applications of reeds. A strong positive correlation was found among the specific gravity, bending strength, and bending Young's modulus of reed culms. All these values are relatively small near the root and tip and peak at mid-chest level. Also, the intervals of nodes are relatively wide, and there are relatively few nodes around the mid-chest level compared to other areas. That is, hardening is done by curing the material. On the other hand, near the root, not only does the cross-sectional area of the culm increase, but also the internode distance decreases, and geometrical reinforcement takes place. As described above, it was confirmed that efficient stiffening and material placement were performed over the entire height of the reed culm while suppressing the increase in mass.

Based on the statistical database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, global wood fuel consumption and increases in CO₂ emissions due to fossil fuel combustion resulting from wood to fossil fuel substitution were estimated in emerging and developing countries. The findings showed that the global consumption of all types of wood fuels increased from 2012 to 2019, and that the biggest increase was observed for wood pellets. In 2019, firewood, chips, sawdust, offcuts from forest and forest industry (hereinafter referred to “other wood fuels”) accounted for 88.8% of global fuel consumption. Among emerging and developing countries, countries with decreasing consumption of other wood fuels showed higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate compared to countries in which the consumption was increasing, but there was no correlation between the rate of decrease in consumption and GDP growth rate. In the short term, around 2027, the increase in the amount of CO₂ emissions when wood charcoal and other wood fuels are converted to fossil fuels in emerging and developing countries was calculated from 28996 to 13799 kt-CO₂/year.

A mail questionnaire survey was conducted on the amount and utilization of combustion ash generated from woody biomass in Hokkaido. This survey targeted business entities that had combustion equipment using woody biomass fuel and used the obtained energy for their own use or for sale. A total of 85 business entities provided valid responses. The amount of ash generated per business entity was generally large in the paper manufacturing and power plant/heat supply industries, and the smallest in public institutions. That was moderate in wood-related and other industries. The rate of business entities using ash was high in the paper manufacturing and power plant/heat supply industries and relatively low in the others. Applications of ash included fertilizers, compost, soil improvement materials, snow melting materials, civil engineering materials, and raw materials for recycling. The usage patterns of ash were broadly classified as follows: 1) use of unprocessed ash by themselves or others as fertilizer etc., 2) use of processed ash products by themselves or others for civil engineering, and 3) use by recyclers. We also clarified the awareness of business entities and the issues regarding the use of ash.