Effect of bound water on piezoelectric, dielectric, and elastic properties of wood

Abstract

The interaction of water with wood, such as bamboo and cedar, is investigated by measuring their complex piezoelectric, dielectric, and elastic constants between -150 and 150°C at 10 Hz. Bamboo and cedar are found to have two hydration-dependent elastic loss peaks; one is observed at about -100°C and the other at about -40°C. The former loss peak is due to the adsorbed water in the hydration range between 0 and 4% moisture content (MC) and the latter to the adsorbed water above 4% MC. These two types of water are considered bound on different sites in the regions around crystalline cellulose, where molecules of one type associate with each other and molecules of the other are unassociated. We consider that the piezoelectric polarization of wood is attributed to the rotation of hydroxyl groups in the crystal lattice of cellulose. The piezoelectric constants are observed to decrease but the elastic and dielectric constants to increase with increasing hydration. The effect of adsorbed water on elastic losses in bamboo and cedar are found to be similar to that in collagenous substances.