Comparative Study on the Properties of Inorganic Silicate and Organic Phenolic Prepolymer Modified Poplar Wood by Vacuum Cycle Pressurization

To enhance mechanical properties and improve flame retardancy and smoke suppression of fast-growing poplar wood in wood applications,the wood was impregnated and modified.An organic phenolic prepolymer and inorganic sodium silicate was used as contrasting impregnation modifiers and wood samples were impregnated by a bionic“respiration”method with alternating positive and negative pressure.The weight percentage gain,density increase ratio,mechanical properties(bending and compressive strength and hardness),and water absorption rate of inorganic and organic-impregnated modified poplar wood(IIMPW and OIMPW,respectively)were compared and these properties in IIMPW were found to be higher than those of OIMPW with the exception of the water absorption rate which was lower than the OIMPW.This was attributed to the superior absorption of sodium silicate that also improved the impregnation,reinforcement,and dimensional stability in the IIMPW.The chemical structure,crystalline structure,internal morphology,flame retardancy,smoke suppression,and thermal stability of IIMPW and OIMPW were characterized by FT-IR,XRD,SEM,CONE,and TGA.FT-IR and XRD results showed that,although IIMPW cellulose crystallinity reduced the most,more chemical bonds were come into being in IIMPW,which explained the better physical and mechanical properties of IIMPW.Compared with OIMPW,IIMPW had better flame retardant and smoke suppression performance.

Selecting the Technology of Sodium Silicate Modified Poplar with the Highest Performance by Fuzzy Orthogonal Method

Sodium silicate modification can improve the overall performance of wood.The modification process has a great influence on the properties of modified wood.In this study,a new method was introduced to analyze the wood modification process,and the properties of modified wood were studied.Poplar wood was modified with sodium silicate by vacuum-pressure impregnation.After screening using single-factor experiments,an orthogonal experiment was carried out with solution concentration,impregnation time,impregnation pressure,and the cycle times as experimental factors.The modified poplar with the best properties was selected by fuzzy mathematics and characterized by SEM,FT-IR,XRD and TG.The results showed that some lignin and hemicellulose were removed from the wood due to the alkaline action of sodium silicate,and the orderly crystal area of poplar became disorderly,resulting in the reduction of crystallinity of the modified poplar wood.FT-IR analysis showed that sodium silicate was hydrolyzed to form polysilicic acid in wood,and structural analysis revealed the formation of Si-O-Si and Si-O-C,indicating that sodium silicate reacted with fibers on the wood cell wall.TG-DTG curves showed that the final residual mass of modified poplar wood increased from 25%to 67%,and the temperature of the maximum loss rate decreased from 343℃ to 276℃.The heat release and smoke release of modified poplar wood decreased obviously.This kind of material with high strength and fire resistance can be used in the outdoor building and indoor furniture.