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Wood–polymer composites prepared by the in situ polymerization of monomers within wood
Author(s) -
Li YongFeng,
Liu YiXing,
Wang XiangMing,
Wu QingLin,
Yu HaiPeng,
Li Jian
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.32837
Subject(s) - materials science , glycidyl methacrylate , composite material , glass transition , polymer , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , maleic anhydride , thermal stability , monomer , styrene , wood flour , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , copolymer , engineering
Wood–polymer composites (WPCs) were prepared from poplar wood ( P. ussuriensis Komarov) in a two‐step procedure. Maleic anhydride (MAN) was first dissolved in acetone and impregnated into wood; this was followed by a heat process; and then, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) and styrene (St) were further impregnated into the MAN‐treated wood, followed by a second thermal treatment. Finally, the novel WPC was fabricated. The reactions occurring in the WPC, the aggregation of the resulting polymers, and their interaction with the wood substrate were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The performance of WPC was also evaluated in terms of the mechanical properties and durability, which were then correlated with the structural analysis of the WPC. The test results show that MAN and GMA/St chemically reacted with the wood cell walls in sequence, and the quantity of hydroxyl groups in the wood cell walls was evidently reduced. Meanwhile, St copolymerized with GMA or MAN, and the resulting polymers mainly filled in the wood cell lumen in an amorphous form, tightly contacting the wood cell walls without noticeable gaps. As a result, the mechanical properties, decay resistance, and dimensional stability of the WPC were remarkably improved over those of the untreated wood, and its glass‐transition temperature also increased. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011