Compression of Acetylated Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL)

Abstract

Acetylation with acetic anhydride is well known to improve the dimensional stability and durability of wood. Veneer is appealing for acetylation because of its thin thickness, which supports a complete and even impregnation of difficult-to-treat wood species, such as beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Unlike resin-based veneer impregnation, acetylated veneer does not require any additional curing. As a result, veneer properties are already altered prior to bonding. The compression thickness reduction in acetylated beech veneer during the manufacturing of laminated veneer lumber (LVL) utilizing 1, 3, and 6 MPa at 150 °C for 30 min is investigated in this study. The results show that acetylated beech veneer is considerably less compressible than the references. Moreover, the density of acetylated LVL at low pressure (1 MPa) is similar to the one of references, even though the compressibility is much lower. This is due to the added acetyl groups after acetylation. The reduction in compressibility is most likely caused due to a decrease in moisture content (MC) and its accompanied mechanisms.