Finite Element Modeling of Laminate Wood Composites Hygromechanical Behavior Considering Diffusion Effects in the Adhesive Layers

Authors

  • Jean Deteix
  • Pierre Blanchet
  • André Fortin
  • Alain Cloutier

Keywords:

Layered wood composites, moisture diffusion, adhesive, wood flooring, deformation, simulation, mesh density

Abstract

The performance and quality of appearance layered wood composite products depend largely on their dimensional stability. Layers of various wood species and orientation and the presence of adhesive layers in such products may induce deformation following moisture content changes and reduce product value. In this context, research on the design and hygromechanical behavior of layered wood composites is of primary importance. More specifically, the impact of the adhesive layers on moisture movement and dimensional stability is not known. The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate the impact of the adhesive layer on the dimensional stability of layered wood composites and how it should be modeled by the finite element method. The impacts of mesh density, degree of interpolation of the elements and linear interpolation of the adhesive properties in the wood-adhesive interface of an engineered wood flooring strip were studied to determine the role of an adhesive layer in the cupping process. The results show that when the effective diffusion coefficient of the adhesive layer decreases, the gap between the linear and quadratic interpolation increases. It is however relatively small and when the number of element layers used in the adhesive increases, the gap between the linear and quadratic interpolation increases. The degree of interpolation used for the mechanical component of the model has a minor effect on cupping. Therefore, the choice of a higher degree of interpolation than linear is not necessary. The use of a mesh with a single layer of elements in the adhesive layer can lead to important approximation errors. Therefore, the utilization of more than one layer of elements in the adhesive is necessary.

References

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Published

2008-01-28

Issue

Number 1 / January 2008

Section

Research Contributions

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