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Virginia Tech

Wetting and Penetration Behavior of Resin/Wood Interfaces

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The goal of this project was improve the fundamental understanding of the wood-resin interaction, by looking at the relationship between the resin wetting onto wood and the resulting penetration into wood lumens. Wetting was analyzed with the sessile drop method, which observed the initial contact angle and change in contact angle over 35s. Penetration was measured within each individual tracheid. The Lucas-Washburn equation analyzed the wetting and penetration by calculating the penetration and comparing it to the measured penetration. Wetting of four resins was compared on 3 species, to improve the understanding of adhesive wetting behavior. This study agreed with previous research, that the non-aqueous resin exhibited favorable wetting and presumably better penetration than aqueous resins, with exception of urea-formaldehyde. Wetting and penetration of pMDI was studied on 5 wood species using the Lucas-Washburn equation. The wetting behaviors exhibited grain and species effects, which had implications on the resin availability for flake/strand-based composite products. The greater surface energy of loblolly pine most likely accounted for the significantly greater penetration of loblolly pine compared to Douglas-fir. The calculated penetration, via the Lucas-Washburn equation, exceeded the measured penetration, but it was concluded that the Lucas-Washburn equation predicted penetration reasonably well. Wetting and penetration of phenol-formaldehyde and subsequent adhesives was compared on 3 wood species using the Lucas-Washburn equation. All contact angles were unfavorable due to a skin formation. The Lucas-Washburn equation did not predict any penetration; however, penetration was observed with all systems. The findings suggest that the system was too complex for the Lucas-Washburn equation to be able to predict accurately.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Forest Products
Department dc:contributor.department
Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2017

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Stables, Christa Lauren
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Frazier, Charles E.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Zink-Sharp, Audrey G.
  • Roman, Maren

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:12774
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/79700

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Stables, Christa Lauren. Wetting and Penetration Behavior of Resin/Wood Interfaces. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/79700