Efficacy of linseed oil-treated wood to improve hydrophobicity, dimensional stability, and thermostability

In this work, linseed oil was impregnated into the wood at room temperature, under vacuum pressure. The properties of linseed oil-treated wood, including dimensional stability, wood moisture absorption, chemical structure, thermostability, and morphological characteristics, were evaluated. Linseed oil displayed good permeability in Ailanthus wood, with weight gains of 30.95% after impregnation. The swelling coefficients of treated wood in the tangential and radial directions decreased by 25.97 to 33.33%, indicating that impregnation improved the dimensional stability of wood. Moreover, linseed oil treatment significantly modified the wood structure, although the FTIR spectra generally remained unchanged. Observation by scanning electron microscopy showed, that linseed oil impregnated into the wood and occluded pits, thereby prevented moisture absorption. This technique can be used in a variety of wood products, such as buildings, furniture, and landscape architecture.

Effects of light thermal treatments on the color, hygroscopity and dimensional stability of wood

Ailanthus wood (Ailanthus desf.) was thermally treated at three different low temperatures (140, 160, 180°C) for 2 and 4 h in order to investigate the effects on wood color, hygroscopity and dimensional stability. Results indicate that mass loss increased following the treatments, while equilibrium moisture content decreased from 11.86% to 9.88% for the 180°C and 4 h treatment. Moreover, improvements in the dimension stability were observed for post-treatment samples. The thermal treatment induced color changes in the Ailanthus wood, with a significant reduction in the lightness, yet the redness and yellowness exhibited minimal changes. FITR spectra of the thermally treated wood suggest that the heat treatment resulted in the deacetylation of hemicellulose. These results help to conclude that thermal treating temperature under 160°C can improve wood dimensional stability and maintain original color.