Wettability of fire retardant treated laminated veneer lumber (LVL) manufactured from veneers dried at different temperatures

Abstract

Wettability of the fire retardant treated (FRT) laminated veneer lumber (LVL) manufactured from wood veneers dried at different temperatures was investigated. Commercially manufactured veneer of beech wood (Fagus orientalis L.) was treated with borax-boric acid (BX/BA, 1:1 by weight), monoammonium phosphate (MAP), and diammonium phosphate (DAP) using a full-cell pressure process. The veneers were then dried at different temperatures (120, 140, 160, and 180°C), and experimental LVLs were made from these veneer sheets. The wettability of LVL was characterized by contact angle analysis. The lowest contact angle was obtained from LVL made from BX/BA-treated veneers, while the highest value was found for the control LVL. The CA values of these samples at each re-drying level were lower than LVLs made from untreated veneers. Re-drying of the treated veneers decreased the CA values of the LVL, while it was found higher for the LVL made from untreated veneer.