Effects of the Combined Modification Process of Glutaraldehyde/ paraffin on Biological and Mechanical properties of Poplar wood

Abstract

In this study, the mechanical and biological properties of modified poplar wood with glutaraldehyde and paraffin were investigated. Modification was performed with glutaraldehyde at different concentrations of glutaraldehyde, 5, 10 and 20% using magnesium chloride as a catalyst and then subsequently with paraffin by vacuum-pressure method. Increasing concentration of glutaraldehyde caused to weight gain and bulking wood cell wall, subsequently reduced paraffin penetration into the porous structure of wood. Biological resistance exposed to white rot fungi and mechanical properties were measured according to the standards EN113 and ASTM D143-94, respectively. Scanning electron microscopic images showed bulking of cell walls and paraffin presence in cell cavities. According to results of TGA, increasing of modification intensity decreased mass loss due to cross linking formation between glutaraldehyde and cell wall polymers. Paraffin at combined modification containing 10% and 20% glutaraldehyde improved significantly the modulus of elasticity. Glutaraldehyde reduced bending strength, but paraffin present in the modified samples improved it. The Glutaraldehyde increased compression strength parallel to grain and hardness that the improvement was more obvious in combined modification. Modification with glutaraldehyde enhanced decay resistance exposed to white rot fungi, and this improvement intensified at the presence of paraffin. Inhibitory influence of chemical modification on wood attacking white rot fungi can be attributed to decreases the wood moisture, bulking of cell walls and blocking cell cavities.

Keywords

• Glutaraldehyde
• Paraffin
• MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
• White rot