Improving the stability of beech wood with polyester treatment based on malic acid.

The improvement of durability and dimensional stability of wood properties via modification of the microstructure and wood–water interaction has been widely utilised. This study investigated polyester treatments, a possible alternative, using environmentally friendly chemicals such as malic acid to improve the beech wood (Fagus sylvatica) properties. The modified properties have been studied with four treatments using malic acid, glycerol, butanediol and succinic anhydride, mixing polycarboxylic acids and polyols. Results showed that the anti-swelling-efficiency (ASE) improved up to 70%, and the bulking coefficient improved around 23%, exhibiting an efficient penetration within the cell walls. The leaching rates (LR) of treatments and the extractables remained low, between 0.05 and 2.4%. The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) decreased by 50% for the four treatments, compared to untreated beech wood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]