Modified Mechanism of Cell Walls from Chinese Fir Treated with Low-Molecular-Weight Phenol Formaldehyde Resin
HUANG Yan-hui1*, FEI Ben-hua2, ZHAO Rong-jun3
1. Key Laboratory of Wooden Material Science and Application, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China 2. International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing 100102, China 3. Research Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
Abstract：Study on the modified mechanism of wood cell walls, it is very important for improving treatment reagents, optimizing treatment technology, and enhancing wood density, mechanical properties, dimensional stability, and so on. Samples of plantation Chinese fir were treated gradually with synthesized water-soluble low-molecular-weight phenol formaldehyde (PF) resins under vacuum and pressure. The correlated physical and chemical properties of the treated and untreated reference samples were determined by X-ray diffractometer(XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(FTIR), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer(NMR)(Using method of Cross Polarization/Magic Angle Spinning for continuous testing) with high precision and resolution. The results showed that, after treated with water-soluble low-molecular-weight PF resin, the average values of crystallinity from the treated samples were decreased obviously, and the average reduction rate was 12.67%, 11.91% and 6.26%, respectively. Comparing water-soluble, low-molecular-weight PF resin modified Chinese fir with untreated reference samples, no new chemical shifts and characteristic peaks of functional groups from esters, ethers, etc. were present by using FTIR and 13C NMR spectrum. It was considered that there was no distinct chemical reaction between the water-soluble low-molecular-weight PF resin and Chinese Fir cell walls. But water-soluble low-molecular-weight PF resin could enter into the structure relatively loose, large size spaces, relatively area large amorphous regions in cell walls of Chinese fir tracheids, and form physical filling, which resulting in the decreasing of relative crystallinity. This study has important reference value for the development of new wood modification reagents and the optimization of wood modification process. The findings also provide important theoretical foundation for further proving the modification mechanisms of wood cell walls and enriching the modified theories of wood cell walls.
