Dynamic moisture sorption and dimensional stability of furfurylated wood with low lignin content

Abstract

Abstract Degradation of lignin occurs naturally in wood due to the influence of microorganisms or photic radiation. To improve the properties of wood with low lignin content, furfuryl alcohol (FA) at the concentration of 25% was used to modify poplar wood (Populus euramericana Cv.) after partial delignification. Moisture sorption and dimensional stability of the samples were investigated under dynamic conditions where the relative humidity (RH) was changed sinusoidally between 45% and 75% at 25°C. Both the moisture content (MC) and the tangential dimensional change varied with a sinusoidal shape similar to the RH. Hygroscopicity and hygroexpansion increased after delignification, while furfurylation led to an inverse impact by reducing MC, dimensional changes, amplitudes of MC and dimensional changes, moisture sorption coefficient (MSC), and humidity expansion coefficient (HEC). After delignification and further furfurylation, the MC and the dimensional changes were reduced by about 20%, and the maximum drop in amplitudes of MC and dimensional changes was about 30%, while the MSC and the HEC decreased by over 15%. In addition, the furfurylated wood with low lignin content exhibited lower sorption hysteresis and swelling hysteresis.