arooj o zawal
Bull. Mater. Sci., Vol. 25, No. 6, November 2002, pp. 527–531. © Indian Academy of Sciences.
Studies of properties of rubber wood with impregnation of polymer
RASHMI R DEVI and T K MAJI*
Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784 028, India
Abstract. Impregnation of rubber wood has been carried out under different conditions by using styrene as grafting monomer and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) as crosslinker. Properties such as dimensional stability, water absorption, hardness, tensile strength, flexural strength, etc of the impregnated wood have been checked and found to be improved by incorporation of GMA as the crosslinker with styrene. The polymerimpregnated wood has also been characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and DSC.
Keywords.
1.
Wood; composite; crosslinker; polymers; styrene–glycidyl methacrylate.
Introduction
Wood, a renewable resource and naturally occurring material abundantly available has a wide range of applications as construction material, pulp, paper, fireboard products as well as source of energy and as raw materials for various industrially important chemicals. Two types of woods viz. hard and soft, are available. Softwood trees are lacking in strength, dimensional stability etc which restrict their uses. The softwood trees are generally used for fuel purposes. These softwoods can be converted into value added primary wood suitable for furniture, office equipment etc through impregnation with polymer in the capillaries, cavities, and void spaces of the wood cell.
Considerable work has been done on the modification of wood (Rowell 1983). Meyer (1981) reported that wood treated with vinyl type monomer followed by curing
(radiation or catalyst) significantly improves the moisture resistance, hardness etc. Baki et al (1993) has shown that different types of wood impregnated with a polymer mixture containing macroionomer and styrene improves water repellency, compression and bending strength.
Studies of properties of rubber wood with impregnation of polymer
RASHMI R DEVI and T K MAJI*
Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784 028, India
Abstract. Impregnation of rubber wood has been carried out under different conditions by using styrene as grafting monomer and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) as crosslinker. Properties such as dimensional stability, water absorption, hardness, tensile strength, flexural strength, etc of the impregnated wood have been checked and found to be improved by incorporation of GMA as the crosslinker with styrene. The polymerimpregnated wood has also been characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and DSC.
Keywords.
1.
Wood; composite; crosslinker; polymers; styrene–glycidyl methacrylate.
Introduction
Wood, a renewable resource and naturally occurring material abundantly available has a wide range of applications as construction material, pulp, paper, fireboard products as well as source of energy and as raw materials for various industrially important chemicals. Two types of woods viz. hard and soft, are available. Softwood trees are lacking in strength, dimensional stability etc which restrict their uses. The softwood trees are generally used for fuel purposes. These softwoods can be converted into value added primary wood suitable for furniture, office equipment etc through impregnation with polymer in the capillaries, cavities, and void spaces of the wood cell.
Considerable work has been done on the modification of wood (Rowell 1983). Meyer (1981) reported that wood treated with vinyl type monomer followed by curing
(radiation or catalyst) significantly improves the moisture resistance, hardness etc. Baki et al (1993) has shown that different types of wood impregnated with a polymer mixture containing macroionomer and styrene improves water repellency, compression and bending strength.