Structure and Property of PGMA/Wood Composite

Abstract

In order to prepare a wood-based composite material which, as a type of multifunctional and natural bio-based material, possesses satisfactory mechanical properties, excellent durability (i.e., decay resistance and dimensional stability), and Aenvironmental characteristic, the study presents a new method which is based on the cellular structure of wood by initiating polymerizable monomers for in situ polymerization. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) as a multifunctional and polymerizable monomer was chosen, and impregnated into the porous structure of wood. After a thermal-catalyst process, the wood-based composite, PGMA/Wood, was prepared. The structure of this material was analyzed by SEM, FTIR and XRD; and its performance was also determined. The analyzing results show that GMA not only polymerized in the cellular structure in a solid form and amorphous form, which fully and uniformly filled in wood cell lumen, but also sufficiently grafted onto wood cell walls in a chemical level, resulting in tight contact between wood cell walls and resultant polymers (PGMA) without any obvious cracks. The test results of mechanical properties show that the modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), compression strength, and hardness of PGMA/Wood increased by 82%, 122%, 139%, and 348% over those of untreated wood, respectively. The test results of durability show that the dimensional stability and decay resistance of PGMA/Wood improved 44% and 91% than those of untreated wood, respectively. Such composite could be widely applied in the fields of construction, furniture and traffic.