Improvement of Fast-Growing Wood Species Characteristics by MEG and Nano SiO2 Impregnation

Abstract

Jabon (Anthocephalus cadamba) is a fast-growing wood species that is widely utilized for light construction and other purposes in Indonesia. The objectives of the current study were to determine the effects of monoethylene glycol (MEG) and SiO 2 nanoparticles (nano SiO 2 ) impregnation treatment on the dimensional stability and density of jabon wood and to identify the characteristics of impregnated jabon wood. Wood samples were immersed in water (as untreated), MEG, 0.5% MEGSiO 2 , then impregnated by applying 0.5 bar of vacuum for 60 min, and then applying 2.5 bar of pressure for 120 min. The results showed that impregnation with MEG and Nano SiO 2 had a significant effect on the dimensional stability of jabon wood. Polymers can fill cell walls in wood indicated by increasing weight percentgain, antiswelling efficiency, bulking effect, and density, then decreasing in water uptake value. Jabon wood morphology by using SEM showed that MEGSiO 2 polymers can cover part of the pitsin the wood vessel wall of jabon. This finding was reinforced by EDX results showing that the silicon content was increased due to the addition of SiO 2 nano. The XRD diffraction pattern indicated that MEGSiO 2 treatment increased the degree of crystallinity in wood samples. Overall, treatment with 0.5% MEGSiO 2 led to the most improvement in the dimensional stability of 5-year-old jabon wood in this study.

One-Step Process for the Fabrication of Hydrophobic and Dimensional Stable Wood Using Functionalized Silica Nanoparticles

“…The slight decrease in moisture uptake as a result of FSNP deposition in wood tissue is explained by the combined effect of the nanoparticles, including clogging the void spaces and being hydrophobic [49]. Sufficiently small-sized nanoparticles can penetrate the cell wall pores, inhibiting moisture from entering and, in this way, decreasing water absorption [50,51]. Similarly, FSNPs may also block sorption sites of wood cell lumens and those directly in the cell walls [52].…”

“…This effect is described as the obstruction of micro-capillaries in wood by the particles, so that water loses its main channel for penetration into the cell wall. In addition, many hydrophilic functional groups on wooden cell walls may be replaced by some functional group of SiO 2 nanoparticles, and the bound water that is located within the cell wall can be replaced by them [50,53]. The relatively low decrease in the EMC can be attributed to the discontinuous FSNP layer on the cell wall surfaces (Figure 1), thus explaining the contact of the cell wall surfaces, and water vapor was not completely blocked physically.…”

The effect of densification time on quality of Jabon Wood (Anthocephalus cadamba)

“…Fast-growing wood species dominate the production of this log. Fast-growing trees are a particular kind of woody plant with a harvest time of fewer than 10 years [2][3][4][5][6][7] This kind of plant is widely grown in Industrial Plantation Forests (HTI) and Community Plantation Forests (HTR) due to its quick harvesting phase [5]. However, the standard essential features this fast-growing plant species has, such as its low-density value and low level of dimensional stability, provide issues in its application [8].…”

Investigation of Sound Absorption Ability of Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) Cubes

“…Wood is the most used eco-friendly material on the planet, with applications ranging from landscaping, building, and furniture (Dirna et al, 2020;Fujimoto et al, 2021;Hwang and Oh, 2022;Kim and Kim, 2021;Mokhirev et al, 2021;Park and Jo, 2020;Park et al, 2022;Schulz et al, 2021;Yang et al, 2020;Yun et al, 2021). Wood also improves indoor air quality by absorbing or releasing moisture from the air to maintain proper humidity and lowers stress by stabilizing humans emotionally (Lee et al, 2016).…”