Search

Wood wettability, the process of liquid interaction with wood surfaces, is influenced by wood surface chemistry, structure, ambient conditions, and temperature. Understanding how temperature impacts wood wettability is crucial for high-temperature manufacturing processes. In this study, the sessile drop method was employed to explore the dynamic wettability of Chinese fir wood using three different liquids (water, glycerol and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc)) across a range of temperatures (25, 40, 60 and 80 °C). By considering spreading, penetration and evaporation, we revealed that the dynamic wettability of Chinese fir was strongly dependent on temperature and the type of liquid. Temperature elevation enhances wettability, leading to reduced contact angles and increased penetration ratios. Water exhibited the highest wettability, followed by glycerol, with PVAc being the least wetting agent. Notably, after 180 s of wetting at 80 °C, the measured contact angles were 0° for water, 45° for glycerol, and 120° for PVAc. When accounting for evaporation, the penetration of water decreased from 57 % to 47 % (25 °C) and 100 % to 62 % (80 °C). The activation energies for the penetration of water and PVAc into Chinese fir exhibited variations, with values of 35.3 and 158.3 kJ/mol, respectively. These comprehensive wetting results, covering spreading, penetration and evaporation, provide valuable insights into wood–water and wood–adhesive interactions, particularly when exposed to high-temperature conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dimensional instability and inferior mechanical strength of radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) limit its use in musical instruments. To improve its properties, a two-step treatment by furfuryl alcohol (FA) and tung oil (TO) were used involving impregnation of FA precursor solution into the wood matrix, forming a highly cross-linked resin, followed by a modification with TO. Examination using scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed that FA resin was attached in cell walls and lumens, and the solidified TO in cell lumens and occluded pits. The incorporation of FA resin reduced the wood swelling coefficient by over 70% and the hydrophobic solidified TO decreased wood water uptake by over 80% enhancing wood dimensional stability. Although FA resin improved the modulus of elasticity and hardness of the wood, the modulus of rupture and impact bending strength were reduced. However, the additional TO impregnation step improved the modulus of rupture, impact bending strength, and wear resistance of the furfurylated wood. The performance of FA and TO treated radiata pine wood was better than that treated with FA or TO alone, and could meet the performance requirements of wood used for fretboard of string instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An understanding of wood's moisture-dependent viscoelastic properties under various temperature conditions is important for assessing its utilization and product quality. In this study, we investigated the influence of moisture content (MC) on the orthotropic viscoelasticity of Chinese fir wood (Cunninghamia lanceolata [Lamb.] Hook.) during quenching ranging from 20 to −120°C. The storage modulus (E′) and loss factor (tan δ) of the longitudinal (L), radial (R) and tangential (T) specimens were determined for nine MC levels ranging from 0.6 to 60.0%. The results showed that E′ generally decreased with increasing amount of bound water in all orthotropic directions, regardless of the temperature. In contrast, a sharp increase in E′ was observed at temperatures below 0°C when free water was present, due to the formation of ice within the cell lumens. The γ-relaxation and β-relaxation were observed in the temperature spectrum. A comparison demonstrates that the β-relaxation showed evident grain orientation. When only bound water was present in the wood cell wall, one clear γ-relaxation was found for all orthotropic directions. In contrast, only the high-temperature side of the γ-relaxation was observed in the three anatomic directions in specimens with free water, which might be related to the amorphous wood cell wall coupling with the frozen free water during the quenching process. In addition, the differences in peak temperatures of the γ-relaxation among the three main directions diminished with increasing bound water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]