Chemical Modification of Wood with Alkylene Oxides, Vinylpirrolidinone and Furans:Effects on Dimensional Stabilization

The effect of propylene oxide, butylene oxide, furan resin, and vinylpyrrolidinone in controlling wood dimensional stability have been examined. Wood in the green or ovendry condition was treated with various chemical treatments using a vacuum-pressure procedure, and treated specimens were tested for tangential sweelling, moisture gain, and changes in sorption hysteresis. Results' indicate that propylene oxide, and butylene oxide enhanced with the crosslin king agent trimethylol propane trimethacrylate and applied to ovendry wood were the most efficient chemical treatments in controlling tangential sweeling caused by liquid water or water vapor, and in reducing water vapor adsorption. The sorption behavior of treated wood as depicted by the ratios of sorption was "very favorable" in most instances. In the particular case of furan resin treatments, ratios of sorption were improved from 25 to 100 percent as compared to those of untreated wood.