Recipient Organization
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIV
(N/A)
MISSISSIPPI STATE,MS 39762
Performing Department
Forest Products
Non Technical Summary
Two major problems with wood products when used for various applications are susceptibility to biodegradation and dimensional instability when exposed to fluctuating moisture conditions. There currently are several wood preservatives that provide reasonable protection against biodeterioration. However, these traditional treatments do not impart any appreciable dimensional stability which results in excessive checking, splitting and warping during normal use. Consequently, there is a need for new treatments that will improve the performance of wood products. One method of imparting dimensional stability to wood is to treat it with compounds that bulk the cell wall. In this regard, polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been used for this purpose, (Stamm, A.J., 1964). Although PEG is a good bulking agent for wood it does not impart appreciable decay resistance except at very high retention levels (Stamm, A.J., Bacchler, R., 1965.Historically, one of the major uses for PEG was to stabilize wood that has been submerged in water for decades. In this regard, a recent study by Broda and Mazela (2017) showed that PEG is not entirely satisfactory for preserving water logged wood. In this regard the referenced a study by Almkvist andl Persson (2007), which showed that the chemical reactivity of PEG with substrates in wood can accelerate further wood degradation. Consequently, new treatments are needed for this application, as well as other potential uses.
Animal Health Component
0%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
0%
Developmental
60%
Goals / Objectives
The objectives of this proposed research are to:Determine the potential for using caprolactam as a wood treatment to improve dimensional stability.Determine the potential of using caprolactam to improve the decay resistance of wood.Explore methods to reduce the leachability of caprolactam from treated wood.
Project Methods
The degree of dimensional stabilization imparted by caprolactam treatment will be determined by pressure treating southern pine sapwood wafers with various concentration of aqueous solutions. The treated wood will then be evaluated for volumetric shrinkage and swelling of samples after exposure to a range of relative humidity conditions. Studies will also be carried out to determine the minimum dimensional stabilization required to minimize checks and splits that occur when the treated wood is subjected to cyclic high and low moisture content conditions.The efficacy of caprolactam treated wood against wood decay fungi will be determined for both brown rot and white rot fungi using AWPA Standard E 22. In addition, the efficacy of caprolactam treated wood against termites will be determined using AWPA Standard E1.Caprolactam is water soluble so it would be desirable to develop methods to reduce the leachability of this compound when treated wood is exposed to wet environments. In this regard some preliminary experiments suggest that a combination of caprolactam and furfural may have potential. Other approaches will also be explored.