Fixation of Compressed Wood Using Melamine-Formaldehyde Resin

Authors

  • Masafumi Inoue
  • Shigeyuki Ogata
  • Shuichi Kawai
  • Roger M. Rowell
  • Misato Norimoto

Keywords:

Melamine-formaldehyde, compressed wood, permanent fixation, recovery of set, surface hardness

Abstract

Methods to maximize wood hardness and dimensional stability include various combinations of compression, heating, and chemical treatment. In this study, wood was treated with increasing concentrations of a low molecular weight, water-soluble melamine-formaldehyde resin solution (mol wt 380) and compressed while heated. This method achieved a maximum bulking efficiency of 5% and an antishrink efficiency of 45%, showing that the chemical had not completely penetrated the cell wall. Once the wood was treated, its ability to retain the compressed state was tested by immersing wood specimens in water at different temperatures. Specimens treated with an 8% resin solution retained almost complete fixation when soaked in room-temperature water, while those treated with a 25% solution retained fixation in boiling water. Moreover, a 25% solution of resin and a compression of 54% increased hardness from 0.48 to 0.72 MPa.

References

Indue, M., M. Norimoto, Y. Otsuka, and T. Yamada. 1991a. Surface compression of coniferous wood lumber. I. Permanent set of surface compressed layer by a resin. Mokuzai Gakkaishi 35(3):234-240.nIndue, M., M. Norimoto, Y. Otsuka, and T. Yamada. 1991b. Surface compression of coniferous wood lumber. II. Permanent set of compression wood by low molecular weight phenolic resin and some physical properties of the products. Mokuzai Gakkaishi 35(3):227-233.nIndue, M., M. Norimoto, M. Tanahashi, and R. M. Rowell. 1993. Steam or heat fixation of compressed wood. Wood Fiber Sci. 25(3):224-235.nJapan Industrial Standard. 1977. Surface hardness of wood. Standard JIS Z2117.nStamm, A. J. 1964. Wood and cellulose science. Ronald Press, New York, NY.nStamm, A. J., and R. M. Seborg. 1951. Resin-treated laminated, compressed wood—Compreg. Rep. No. 1381. USDA, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI.n

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Published

2007-06-22

Issue

Number 4 / October 1993

Section

Research Contributions

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