Mechanical and Physical Properties of Oriented Strand Lumber (OSL): The Effect of Fortification Level of Nanowollastonite on UF Resin

Abstract

The aim of this work is to investigate the effect of the fortification level of nanowollastonite on urea-formaldehyde resin (UF) and its effect on mechanical and physical properties of oriented strand lumbers (OSL). Two resin contents are applied, namely, 8% and 10%. Nanowollastonite is mixed with the resin at two levels (10% and 20%). It is found that the fortification of UF resin with 10% nanowollastonite can be considered as an optimum level. When nanowollastonite content is higher (that is, 20%), higher volume of UF resin is left over from the process of sticking the strips together, and therefore is absorbed by wollastonite nanofibers. The mechanism involved in the fortification of UF resin with nanowollastonite, which results in an improvement of thickness swelling values, can be attributed to the following two main factors: (i) nanowollastonite compounds making active bonds with the cellulose hydroxyl groups, putting them out of reach for bonding with the water molecules and (ii) high thermal conductivity coefficient of wollastonite improving the transfer of heat to different layers of the OSL mat, facilitating better and more complete resin curing. Since nanowollastonite contributes to making bonds between the wood strips, which consequently improves physical and mechanical properties, its use can be safely recommended in the OSL production process to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the panel.

Improving Fire Retardancy of Beech Wood by Graphene

“…Improving the effects of nanotechnology on different materials has been vastly and intensively elaborated [15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Wood-based materials and composites are no exception [22][23][24]. Different nano-metals and nano-minerals were utilized to improve heat-transfer property in solid wood species and wood composite mats; they were also used to improve biological resistance against different deteriorating fungi to decrease hot-press time as a costly bottle-neck in nearly all wood-composite manufacturing factories and to increase thermal conductivity in solid wood and composite mats [3,15,18,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33].…”

Improving Thermal Conductivity Coefficient in Oriented Strand Lumber (OSL) Using Sepiolite

“…Nanotechnology has been reported to improve the properties and eliminate some drawbacks in many composites and materials [9][10][11][12][13], although changes can occur in the material properties when the size range is reduced to nanometer scale [14]. For wood and wood-composites, different nanomaterials were utilized to further improve fire retardancy, biological resistance, water repellency, and mechanical properties [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23].…”

“…For wood and wood-composites, different nanomaterials were utilized to further improve fire retardancy, biological resistance, water repellency, and mechanical properties [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. Recently, nanowollastonite was applied with urea formaldehyde resin, which improved the thermal conductivity coefficient and, consequently, the mechanical and physical properties of OSL [12]. It was reported that that the fortification of UF resin with 10% nanowollastonite was considered as an optimum level.…”

Fluid Flow in Cotton Textile: Effects of Wollastonite Nanosuspension and Aspergillus Niger Fungus

“…Wollastonite is mineral material, having no environmental contamination and being safe regarding human health; moreover, its application on historical objects would have no harm on the objects themselves [6][7][8]. It has shown high efficacy to limit fungi growth on lingo-cellulosic materials such as cotton textiles and papers by simple spraying or dipping in a wollastonite suspension, and wood and wood-composites by impregnation and mixing with resins [9][10][11]. Therefore, in the present project, wollastonite was used to find out if it can have hindering effects on the growth of fungi on cotton textiles which are constantly used in paintings of museums.…”