Wood-Based Nanocomposite Derived by in Situ Formation of Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Polymer within Wood via a Sol–Gel Method

Abstract

Solid wood materials and wood-plastic composites as two kinds of lightweight materials are attracting great interest from academia and industry due to their green and recycling nature. However, the relatively lower specific strength limits their wider applications. In particular, solid wood is vulnerable to moisture and decay fungi in nature, resulting in its poor durability for effectively long-term utilization. Inspired from the porous structure of wood, we propose a new design to build a wood-based nanocomposite with higher specific strength and satisfactory durability by in situ generation of organic-inorganic hybrid polymer within wood via a sol-gel method. The derived composite has 50-1200% improvement of impact toughness, 56-192% improvement of tensile strength, and 110-291% improvement of flexural strength over those of typical wood-plastic composites, respectively; and even 34% improvement of specific tensile strength than that of 36A steel; 208% enhancement of hardness; and 156% enhancement of compression strength than those of compared solid wood, respectively; as well as significantly improved dimensional stability and decay resistance over those of untreated natural wood. Such materials could be potentially utilized as lightweight and high-strength materials for applications in construction and automotive industries. This method could be extended to constitute other inorganic nanomaterials for novel organic-inorganic hybrid polymer within wood.

Dense, Self‐Formed Char Layer Enables a Fire‐Retardant Wood Structural Material

“…The flammability of wooden homes and furniture has been cited as mainly responsible for these injuries. Wood is one of the oldest building materials and commonly used in construction, furniture, and decoration because of its lightweight, mechanical robustness, texture, and thermal and electrical insulating properties . Fire safety, however, represents a major restriction for wood materials when used in structural applications.…”

Magnetic Wood as an Effective Induction Heating Material: Magnetocaloric Effect and Thermal Insulation

“…Based on the 3D porous architecture consisting of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin of natural wood, many approaches on the modification and functionalization of wood have been presented to improve its quality and raise its added value . For example, Li and co‐workers proposed a new kind of wood‐based nanocomposites with satisfactory durability and high specific strength via a vacuum impregnation of organic–inorganic polymer into wood porous structure . Hu and co‐workers fabricated a transparent wood composite with high optical transparency and broadband optical haze through a delignification and epoxy resin impregnating process, which can be used as a heat‐shielding window instead of glass for energy efficient building material application .…”

Mechanical, moisture absorption, biodegradation and physical properties of nanoclay-reinforced wood/plant oil composites

“…Its improved barrier properties, chemical hindrance, and the exterior finish make it a worthy material for various applications such as automotive, constructions, marines, consumer products, packaging, electronic, and aerospace industries, etc. [10,11].…”