Acetylation has proven successful in limiting the hygroscopicity of wood, and improves both durability and dimensional stability (Rowell, 1996). It provides an environmentally friendly way to protect wood in outdoor applications. Several studies have been conducted in order to determine basic mechanical properties of acetylated wood. Less research has been done regarding the impact of acetylation on fracture characteristics. Fracture characteristics are important to regard e.g. when designing mechanical joints in structural applications (Gustafsson, 2003). A previous study (Reiterer and Sinn, 2002) indicated a reduction of the fracture energy by 20% for acetylated spruce.
The aim of this study is to investigate fracture characteristics of acetylated young Scots pine and birch. The fracture energy, the modulus of elasticity and the tensile strength have been determined experimentally. Moreover, a numerical study has been conducted to calibrate proper material models, that will be used in analyses of structural applications.
Keywords: acetylation, fracture characteristics, modulus of elasticity
Authors
Karin Forsman
Lund University, Lund, Sweden
Erik Serrano
Henrik Danielsson
Login to download the PDF