Wood modification with furfuryl alcohol catalysed by a new composite acidic catalyst

Abstract

Due to its potential for commercial applications, wood modification with furfuryl alcohol (FA) is now attracting enhanced attentions from researchers and industry. Selection of suitable catalysts to control the polymerization of FA during storage and curing is the most crucial component of this technology. In this paper, a new composite acidic catalyst composed of oxalic acid and citric acid was proposed and compared with the widely adopted maleic anhydride catalyst, with Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb) as the objective of modification. Weight percent gain, equilibrium moisture content, anti-swelling efficiency, modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity and parallel-to-grain compressive strength (CS), as well as resistance to mould and decay fungi were all evaluated. The results show that furfurylation significantly improves the dimensional stability and durability of pine wood. Furthermore, most of the mechanical properties were also enhanced, especially CS, which increased by approximately 79 and 95 % under the two respective catalysts. Overall, the newly proposed composite acidic catalyst produced comparable results to maleic anhydride with much less FA required.