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.