Treatment of timber with water soluble dimethylol resins to improve their dimensional stability and durability

Summary European Beech (Fagus silvatica L.) was impregnated with a dimethylol resin to improve its dimensional stability and durability. Different catalysts were evaluated in combination with the resin. Depending on the range of relative humidity, the resin improved the shrinkage and swelling by approximately 50%. The use of an acid (citric or tartaric) catalyst lead to improved resin curing. A curing temperature of 100 °C is necessary.The reported work has been part of an EEC Research Program (DGXII) and had been carried out by the author at TNO Timber Research Institute