Beech wood treated with polyglycerol succinate: A new effective method for its protection and stabilization

Abstract

This paper deals with an original and non-biocidal chemical treatment consisting of a vacuum/pressure impregnation step of beech wood with a water-borne mixture made from heat-activated condensation of succinic anhydride (SA) and glycerol (G). Chemical structures of adducts were established using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF) investigations. Beech wood was impregnated and cured in order to induce in situ polymerization of glycerol/succinic adducts (GSA) in the cell walls, leading to the formation of polyglycerol succinate (PGS) polyester. Various treatment conditions were investigated depending on the duration (6-72 h) and curing temperature (103-160°C). Weight percent gains (WPGs) ranging between 40 and 60% were obtained. Attenuated total reflectance-middle infrared spectroscopy (ATR-MIR) and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR) spectroscopy confirmed polyester formation. A curing temperature of 160°C was found to be the best condition to totally avoid polymer leaching, and brought the anti-swelling efficiency (ASE) up to 64%. Decay resistance of PGS-treated wood against Trametes versicolor and Coniophora puteana was also strongly temperature and time dependent: Performances fit with the EN113 standard requirements if a curing temperature of 160°C was applied.