Measurement of the uptake of linseed oil in pine by the use of an X-ray microdensitometry technique

Pine sapwood (Pinus sylvestris) was impregnated with linseed oil to three levels of uptake. The distribution of the penetrant was found by taking microdensity measurements of an impregnated sample and then using an ethanol extraction procedure to remove the linseed oil. A second set of X-ray measurements at identical locations in the same sample allowed the linseed oil to be indirectly mapped. An uneven distribution of linseed oil in the specimens with the lowest uptake (25% increase in weight) was seen as sharp gradients in the densitometry curves. With increased filling by the linseed oil, these gradients were gradually smoothed. Microstructural changes in specimens with high uptake were revealed using scanning electron microscopy. Through a combination of X-ray microdensitometry investigation and changes observed in the wood's mechanical properties and morphology, it was concluded that liquid flow during impregnation results in significant damage to the cell structure.     

Mechanical performance of linseed oil impregnated pine as correlated to the take-up level

 The mechanical performance of pine sapwood (pinus sylvestris), impregnated with linseed oil to different take-up levels, is evaluated using several test methods. SEM is used to study morphological changes following the impregnation procedure. The reduction of mechanical properties is attributed to a) localized cell wall damage in the ray region that facilitates longitudinal inter-cell split in L-R plane (macrocrack) initiation and propagation; b) submicroscopical cracking in the S1 sublayer that reduces the resistance to Mode I and Mode II inter-cell splitting at any location where the oil front has passed. Mechanical testing shows the following effect of the impregnation on failure a) the Mode I fracture toughness G _Ic in L-T and L-R planes, determined in DCB test, is significantly lowered with no significant difference in fracture resistance reduction in between planes; b) 3-point flexural test for specimen geometry leading to cracking in R-L and T-L planes show that the flexural strength as well as flexural modulus are reduced due to impregnation; c) 3-point flexural tests on longitudinal specimens used to determine the impregnation effect on longitudinal modulus E _L and shear moduli G _LT and G _LR , reveal only minor changes. Fracture surfaces in mechanical tests are analyzed using SEM, and differences are explained by described microdamage mechanisms. Received 10 August 1999     

Study of the transverse liquid flow paths in pine and spruce using scanning electron microscopy

Samples of pine (Pinus sylvestris) and spruce (Picea abies) were impregnated with a low-viscous epoxy resin using a vacuum process. The epoxy was cured in situ and the specimens sectioned. Deposits of the cured epoxy was then observed in the wood cavities using a scanning electron microscope. The investigation concentrated on tracing the transverse movements of a viscous liquid in the wood, and special attention was therefore given to the cross-field area between ray cells and longitudinal tracheids. A damage hypothesis is proposed based on the results obtained in the present investigation in combination with those from earlier studies on linseed oil-impregnated pine: In addition to the morphology of the bordered pits, viscous liquid flow in wood is dependent on damage that occurs during the impregnation procedure. For pine sapwood, liquid flow is enabled through disrupted window pit membranes, which divide the longitudinal tracheids and the ray parenchyma cells. A mechanism accounting for the reduced permeability of pine heartwood is believed to be deposits of higher-molecular-weight substances (extractives) in the ray parenchyma cells and on the cell walls. In spruce the thicker ray cells in combination with the smaller pits, which are connected to the longitudinal tracheids, reduce permeability considerably.