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 modiļ¬ed 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.