Enhancing composite durability : using thermal treatments

Abstract

The use of thermal treatments to enhance the moisture resistance and aboveground durability of solid wood materials has been studied for years. Much work was done at the Forest Products Laboratory in the last 15 years on the fundamental process of both short-and long-term exposure to heat on wood materials and its interaction with various treatment chemicals. This work eventually resulted in predictive models to assess both the effect of thermal exposure on both mechanical properties and wood chemistry as a function of temperature, time of exposure, and chemical environment. More recently, significant progress, primarily in Europe, has focused on the goal of developing heat treatments for aboveground durability. Several new technologies have been commercialized. It is reasonable to assume that the manufacturing process for engineered wood composites, which utilizes several thermal treatments, could impart some similar measure of moisture resistance, or possibly even enhanced durability, should these critical fundamental principles of thermal treatment be better understood and properly controlled. This paper reviews the recent research on heat treatments for moisture and durability enhancement and then discusses what is known and what may yet need to be done to effectively understand and control thermal process conditions during the manufacturing process of engineered wood composites to produce more moisture-resistant and durable wood composites.

Citation

Winandy, Jerrold E.; Smith, W. Ramsay. 2007. Enhancing composite durability : using thermal treatments. Wood Protection 2006 : March 21-23 2006 ... New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Madison, WI : Forest Products Society, c2007: ISBN: 1892529483: pages 195-199.