Precise Improvement of Wood Properties by Solution Quantitative Adsorption Furfurylation Based on Cell Wall Modification

Abstract

Furfurylation expands the value of wood and wood-based products in construction and engineering applications by improving its dimensional stability and lowering its moisture absorption. However, the traditional liquid phase vacuum and pressure impregnation (VPI) process faces some problems and shortcomings in industrial application, such as excessive consumption of modifiers, and inducing wood drying defects. To avoid these inherent shortcomings, a novel furfurylation method based on solution quantitative adsorption (SQA) was first applied in this study to improve the properties of wood. The results showed that the SQA furfurylation could achieve the precise modification of cell wall and avoid the deposition of furfuryl alcohol (FA) resin in the cell cavities. The scanning electron microscopy and nanoindentation results showed the preparation of ultra-stable wood materials (ASE > 70%) with low FA resin load (weight percent gain of about 20%) and high FA utilization. In addition, the SQA furfurylation could lead to the distribution of FA resin in the interior of wood, thus improving the physical properties of wood without altering the overall mechanical properties.