Abstract
In this study, the wood–water interactions in Scots pine sapwood modified with maleic anhydride (MA) and sodium hypophosphite (SHP) was studied in the water-saturated state. The water in wood was studied with low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LFNMR) and the hydrophilicity of cell walls was studied by infrared spectroscopy after deuteration using liquid D2O. The results of LFNMR showed that the spin–spin relaxation (T2) time of cell wall water decreased by modification, while T2 of capillary water increased. Furthermore, the moisture content and the amount of water in cell walls of modified wood were lower than for unmodified samples at the water-saturated state. Although the amount of accessible hydroxyl groups in modified wood did not show any significant difference compared with unmodified wood, the increase in T2 of capillary water indicates a decreased affinity of the wood cell wall to water. However, for the cell wall water, the physical confinement within the cell walls seemed to overrule the weaker wood–water interactions.
Highlights
The difdifference in mass gain between sample groups M and ML might indicate a loss of treated ference in mass gain between sample groups M and ML might indicate a loss of treated chemicals by EN 84
Physical confinement appeared to play the dominant role in the decrease of T2 relaxation time of the cell wall water peak by modification with maleic anhydride (MA) and sodium hypophosphite (SHP)
The use of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LFNMR) spectroscopy as a tool for determining the influence of moisture in wood has been further demonstrated in this study into the reaction of wood with MA and SHP
Summary
Moisture in wood influences important characteristics such as biological degradation, dimensional stability and mechanical strength [1,2,3]. One of the generally accepted mechanisms explaining enhanced decay resistance and dimensional stability of wood by modification is a reduction in the moisture content of the wood [4,5,6,7,8]. The amount, state and the location of water molecules and their interaction with wood components are important in helping understand the nature of moisture in wood and its effect on wood properties. Water molecules can exist in wood in the macro-voids, e.g., lumen or pit chambers, or in the cell walls interacting with the cell wall constituents [8]
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