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Research article2024Peer reviewedOpen access

Chemical changes in thermally modified, acetylated and melamine formaldehyde resin impregnated beech wood

Oberle, Anna; Vybohova, Eva; Baar, Jan; Paschova, Zuzana; Beranek, Stepan; Drobyshev, Igor; Cabalova, Iveta; Cermak, Petr

Abstract

Wood modification (by thermal or chemical treatment) helps to improve the dimensional stability of wood and enhance its resistance to biological agents. Beech wood is non-durable and exposure in exterior settings dramatically shortens its service life. To determine the full potential of beech wood for advanced applications, a better understanding of the chemical changes induced by modification is needed. Two chemical treatments (acetylation and melamine formaldehyde resin impregnation) and three thermal treatments (heating to 180, 200 and 220 degrees C) were performed on beech wood. The modification effect was examined based on (i) molecular changes in functional groups by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR); (ii) extractive content; and (iii) pH changes. Moreover, the explanation of these changes was supported by the FTIR-analysis of isolated main wood components (cellulose, holocellulose and lignin) from the modified wood. The high temperatures applied to samples during thermal modification promoted the deacetylation and degradation of hemicelluloses. Hemicelluloses were targeted also by acetic anhydride and melamine resin, the bonding of which was confirmed by FTIR analysis. The formation of fewer methylene bridges affected the properties of the melamine network. This observation suggests the need to determine optimal curing conditions in future research, to reduce melamine-wood hydrophilicity.

Keywords

acetylation; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); hydrophilic extractives; melamine formaldehyde (MF) resin; thermal modification; wood chemistry

Published in

Holzforschung
2024, Volume: 78, number: 8, pages: 459-469 Publisher: WALTER DE GRUYTER GMBH

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Wood Science

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/hf-2024-0013

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/131328