On the dimensional stabilization of woods with treatment of Polyethylene Glycol-400

폴리에치렌 글리콜-400에 의한 목재(木材)의 칫수안정화(安定化)

How to stabilize wood against shrinking and swelling in variable atmospheric moisture conditions is important to the wood-using industry and a challenge to research. Polyethylene glycol stabilize wood by bulking the fiber. PEG also serve as a chemical seasoning agent, suppress decay in high concentrations, and have slight effect on physical properties, gluing or finishing. The study designed to determine the effect of PEG-400 on the dimensional stabilization of local hardwoods for wood carvings that could supply a greatly expanding tourist trade and making curved furniture parts, lamp stands and other decorative objects, and possible gunstock. The species examined were 6 species, Seo-Namoo (Carpinus laxiflora), Cheungcheung-Namoo (Cornus controversa), Gorosae-Namoo (Acer mono), Karae-Namoo (Juglans mandshurica), Jolcham-Namoo (Quercusserrata) and Sanbud-Namoo (Prunus sargentii), used as block of 5cm thick radially to the grain, 7cm wide tangentially, and 70cm long parallel to the wood grain. All these test piecies were conditioned above the fiber saturation point before impregnation. The stabilization effects were determined for PEG-400 treated woods in a 50 percent solution for 20 days. The following conclusions were obtained. PEG retentions increased with treating time. It was more effective to treat at 60$^{\circ}C$ than at room temperature. In degree of PEG-400 impregnation on species, Cheungcheung-Namoo havinglow specific gravity had the highest retentions, 68.77% but the lowest, 56.33% was shown in Jolcham-Namoo with high specific gravity. Specific gravity of treated wood increased considerably with effectiveness of polymer loading. The increases in specific gravity were 5.36 to 13.16 percent. The highest was Jolcham-Namoo, the lowest Karae-Namoo. On the dimensional stability, a 40 percent of effectiveness of polymer loading was just as effective as 60 percent in reduction in water absorptivity (RWA), antishrinkage efficiency (ASE) and antiswelling efficiency (AE), and from over 60 percent they increased more rapidly. Also species response varied considerably. ASE was 30.12 to 69.97 percent tangentially and 27.86 to 56.37 percent radially, AE 34.06 to 73.76 percent tangentially and 30.11 to 70.12 percent radially, and RWA 42.31 to 65.32 percent. No differences in volume swelling among the 6 species were observed. Its values were ranged from 14.98 to 19.55 percent and also increased with PEG retentions. On the mechanical properties, the strengths very much decreased with PEG-400 loadings as shown in Figure 12; that were 11.41 to 22.90 percent in compression, 21.61 to 34.35 percent in bending and 22.83 to 36.83 percent in tensile strength. PEG retention in cell wall was less than 1 percent and the most of PEG were immersed in cell lumen. Except for Korae-Namoo, effectivenesses of polymer loading were as much high as 61.58 to 75.02 percent. This is believed to be due to the effect of PEG-400 on excellant dimensional stability of treated woods.