DEFORMATION OF WOOD – RESIN PHASE BOUNDARY BY MOISTURE CONTENT CHANGES IN WOOD
Abstract
In recent years, casting epoxy resins have been on the rise among wood furniture manufacturers. Epoxy resins can be applied to wood of various qualities, including those with defects and textures. A range of problems arise during the production of wood-epoxy resin products. These problems stem from the different characteristics and properties of these materials. The focus of this article is on studying the dimensional changes of openings in beech wood filled with casting epoxy resin during changes in wood moisture content. The stability of the wood-epoxy resin phase boundary during moisture and mechanical stress was also studied. Experimental results confirmed that the dimensions of the openings in wood enlarged proportionately with wood swelling. This resulted in a disruption of the wood-epoxy resin phase boundary stability. The epoxy resin separated from the sides of the openings in wood. During the shrinking process, a limited shrinkage was observed in the vicinity of the openings. This can lead to the formation of cracks in wood. Swelling of the beech wood samples resulted in a significant height difference between the beech wood and the epoxy resin. On the other hand, the shrinking of the samples showed a more tapered height difference between the beech wood and the epoxy resin. The shear strength test did not indicate an adhesive failure but rather a cohesive failure of the epoxy resin. The failure occurred in the epoxy resin, close to the wood-resin phase boundary. This finding confirmed that epoxy resin has a good adhesion to beech wood.
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