To fulfil the increasing need of durable wooden materials in the construction sector novel wood modification techniques are required (Sandberg et al. 2021). Wood modification utilising chemicals and thermal treatment can improve durability of species with low durability but are either fossil-based or significantly reduce the mechanical properties of the material. Imidazole, a nitrogen containing heterocyclic compound, has been used for the valorisation of biomass from lignocellulosic compounds, having the potential to degrade lignin into low molecular weight compounds (Morais et al. 2016). However, no previous studies have explored applications of imidazole in solid wood modification. Our research aims to explore wood modification systems involving imidazole in combination with citric acid based on pressure impregnation with subsequent heat-treatment to improve the moisture-related properties without aggravating the mechanical performance.
Keywords: anti-swelling efficiency, citric acid, wood protection
Authors
Alexander Scharf
Luleå University of Technology, Sweden
Dennis Jones
Luleå University of Technology, Sweden
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