Dimensional stabilization of flakeboard by chemical modification

✍ Scribed by R. M. Rowell; A.-M. Tillman; Liu Zhengtian

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 546 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0043-7719
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00350696

✦ Synopsis

Southern pine, aspen, and Douglas-fir flakes were reacted with either butylene oxide/triethyl~mine or acetic anhydride for various reaction times to give levels of bonded chemicals up to 25 weight percent gain. Flakes modified to 20 weight percent gain with butylene oxide gave a flakeboard which absorbed 25% less water and had reduced thickness swelling up to 50% as compared to an untreated flakeboard. With acetic anhydride, modification, water absorption was 50% less and thickness swelling was reduced 85%. There was a 60% reduction in thickness swelling in flakeboard made from butylene oxide-modified flakes and 85% reduction from acetic anhydride-modified flakes when the boards were subjected to 90% relative humidity over a period of 20 days. The mechanism of effectiveness to reduce moisture uptake and thickness swelling is based on chemical bulking of, and a reduction in the hydrophilic nature of the cell wall polymers.