Influence of Wood Structure on Seasoning and Gluing: Application of Wood Anatomy in Research and Development

This paper presents a discussion on the behavior of wood structure during seasoning and gluing and how knowledge of the wood structure helps the development of new methods such as the dynamic transverse compression drying pretreatment and the formation of “all-natural” lignin-carbohydrate bonded wood composites. Due to the differences in wood structure, species responded differently to dynamic transverse compression. The pit membrane of the large window-like vessel pits in aspen stretched extensively, but did not burst, while the pit membranes of the smaller vessel pits in white birch burst. The latter increased the avenues for diffusion during drying. The distribution of these deformations was restricted to surface regions in aspen, while in birch they were more evenly distributed. Accordingly, the drying characteristics of birch were improved, while no treatment effects were observed in aspen. Adhesion by lignin-base binders was found to occur through a glue-wood interface formation that involved the penetration of the adhesive into the woody cell walls. Adhesion by carbohydrate-base binders was found to occur through the formation of carbohydrate strands between adjoining woody cell surfaces. It is predicted that in the future, an “all-natural” lignin-carbohydrate bonding of wood surfaces will be possible through the formation of carbohydrate strands imbedded in the lignin material of the gluelines. This is the case in the natural middle lamella in living trees.

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