Abstract
Abstract This study presents a novel application of the Wilhelmy plate method on welded joints of Scots pine sapwood and beech. Welding resulted in an increase in the contact angle (increased hydrophobicity) as well as a decrease in the water uptake and swelling of the welded pine-joint compared to non-welded pine. When the welding time was extended from 4 to 5 s, these properties were further pronounced. Welding of beech, on the other hand, led to an increase in the contact angle and a decrease in the water uptake, but an increase in the swelling. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy showed that welding increased the aliphatic C–H and unsaturated C=C stretching absorption bands in pine and beech. Scanning electron microscopy showed a dense structure at the welded joints of the both species, giving evidence of a lower porosity that leads to a lower permeability as a result of the welding.
Highlights
This study presents a novel application of the Wilhelmy plate method on welded joints of Scots pine sapwood and beech
Increasing the welding time from 4 to 5 s further pronounced these results for pine
The high swelling of the welded beech may lead to low water resistance and delamination of the welded beech in water
Summary
Wood welding is a comparatively novel procedure for joining pieces of wood without the use of adhesives or metal fasteners. Welded pine has a greater resistance to water than welded beech. One hypothesis is that extractives in pine may have a lower affinity to water and lead to a lower water absorption in the welded area (Mansouri et al 2011), whereas a high water uptake in the welded area results in delamination of welded beech (Vaziri et al 2011). Earlier studies (Amirou et al 2017; Pizzi et al 2013) indicate that the basic understanding of the underlying mechanisms of water permeation in welded joint is deficient. Previous studies have tested the resistance of welded woods to water in a number of ways, but none of them have investigated the dynamic (time-dependent) interaction between water and the welded joints. This study investigates wetting properties of welded woods by studying contact angle (CA), swelling, and liquid sorption of the welded joint and adjacent wood using Wilhelmy plate method
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