Chimie nouvelle, 87, 99-101
Bois Xylowall : un nouveau procédé pour diminuer la
rétention en eau
A. Uyttenhove, B. Tilquin
Unité d'analyse Chimique et Physico-chimique des
Médicaments, UCL
Xylowalo, Louvain-la-Neuve
Our research shows that poplar and pine treated with selected monomer
mixture and then irradiated at a selected dose (kGy) reduce the water
exchange without adversely altering the desirable qualities of
wood. Moreover, the environment is not polluted. To retard
changes in moisture content and dimensions, different commercial
Radcure (UCB) were tested. A comparative study on the water
retention showed a reduction between non-treated and Xylowall wood for
the species : poplar and pine. The major physical and mechanical
measurements on poplar and pine show that the properties of the wood
are not affected negatively by Xylowall treatment with
irradiation. Moreover, the process does not discharge any toxic
volatile residues into the atmosphereas proven by GC-MS trace analysis
of heated wood samples.
The stereomicroscopy by imagery reveals an impregnation of 0;5 mm on
cross-section of darker-stained areas, and sometimes more due to the
texture of the wood.