Decrease in Swelling Capacity of Pine Wood Modified with Aminoborates

Abstract

Upon direct contact of wood with water, a hydrophilic hydroxylated substrate actively absorbs water molecules due to the capillary-porous structure of the wood. Since water is characterized by high dielectric permittivity, sorption of water is usually accompanied by the swelling of the wood. It leads to the deterioration of the physical and the mechanical properties of the wood composite and, when the surface is covered with a film of paintwork materials while the wood is not subjected to an appropriate treatment, the pressure of the constrained swelling can cause destruction of the substrate. We have established in our work that the modification of the pine wood with the aqueous solutions of aminoborates leads to a decrease in the equilibrium degree of swelling, with 50 % modifier solutions being the most effective in this respect. In this study, the swelling rate of the substrate was found to be inversely proportional to the concentration of the modifier — with an increase of the concentration of the modifiers the swelling rate was markedly reduced due to the rate constants decrease. The results obtained allow us to speak of a decrease in swelling capacity of pine wood modified with aminoborates.