Revealing the interface structure and bonding mechanism of coupling agent treated WPC

© 2018 by the authors. This paper presents the interfacial optimisation of wood plastic composites (WPC) based on recycled wood flour and polyethylene by employing maleated and silane coupling agents. The effect of the incorporation of the coupling agents on the variation of chemical structure of the composites were investigated by Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Solid state 13 C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) analyses. The results revealed the chemical reactions that occurred between the coupling agents and raw materials, which thus contributed to the enhancement of compatibility and interfacial adhesion between the constituents of WPC. NMR results also indicated that there existed the transformation of crystalline cellulose to an amorphous state during the coupling agent treatments, reflecting the inferior resonance of crystalline carbohydrates. Fluorescence Microscope (FM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analyses showed the improvements of wood particle dispersion and wettability, compatibility of the constituents, and resin penetration, and impregnation of the composites after the coupling agent treatments. The optimised interface of the composites was attributed to interdiffusion, electrostatic adhesion, chemical reactions, and mechanical interlocking bonding mechanisms

Revealing the Interface Structure and Bonding Mechanism of Coupling Agent Treated WPC

This paper presents the interfacial optimisation of wood plastic composites (WPC) based on recycled wood flour and polyethylene by employing maleated and silane coupling agents. The effect of the incorporation of the coupling agents on the variation of chemical structure of the composites were investigated by Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Solid state 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (NMR) analyses. The results revealed the chemical reactions that occurred between the coupling agents and raw materials, which thus contributed to the enhancement of compatibility and interfacial adhesion between the constituents of WPC. NMR results also indicated that there existed the transformation of crystalline cellulose to an amorphous state during the coupling agent treatments, reflecting the inferior resonance of crystalline carbohydrates. Fluorescence Microscope (FM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analyses showed the improvements of wood particle dispersion and wettability, compatibility of the constituents, and resin penetration, and impregnation of the composites after the coupling agent treatments. The optimised interface of the composites was attributed to interdiffusion, electrostatic adhesion, chemical reactions, and mechanical interlocking bonding mechanisms

The association between exposure and psychological health in earthquake survivors from the Longmen Shan Fault area: the mediating effect of risk perception

Abstract Background In this study, exposure refers to survivors who suffered from life-changing situations, such as personal injuries, the deaths or injury of family members, relatives or friends or the loss of or damage to personal or family property, as a result of the earthquake. The mediating effect of risk perception on the exposure and psychological health in survivors from the Longmen Shan Fault area and the moderating effect of social support on the relationship between risk perception and psychological health were both examined. Method A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a local Longmen Shan Fault area near the epicenter of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), the standard Chinese 12-item Short Form (SF-12v2), and the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) were used to interview 2,080 earthquake survivors in the period one-year after the earthquake. Based on the environment and the characteristics of the Longmen Shan Fault area, a risk perception questionnaire was developed to evaluate survivor risk perception. Factor and regression analyses were conducted to determine the hypothetical relations. Results The analyses provided effective support for the hypothesized model. Survivor risk perception was classified into direct risk perception and indirect risk perception. Survivor direct risk perception was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between exposure and the two domains (Physical component summary (PCS) and the Mental component summary (MCS)) of psychological health. Survivor indirect risk perception was found to have a only partial mediating effect on the association between exposure and MCS. Social support was found to moderate the influence of risk perception on psychological health. Conclusion Risk communication should be considered in future post-earthquake psychological assistance programs and social support strategies could also be useful in improving psychological health

Effect of Preparation Conditions on Bonding Strength of Soy-based Adhesives via Viscozyme L Action on Soy Flour Slurry

To evaluate the effects of preparation conditions of a 'green' soy-based adhesive(SBA), Viscozyme L was employed to hydrolyze the polysaccharides in defatted soy flour (DSF) for preparing SBAs, and plywood bonded by SBAs with Pinus massoniana veneer was then produced. Effects of enzymolysis pH, temperature, time, and additive amount of the Viscozyme L on water-insoluble substances content (WISC) and bonding strength (boiling-water test) of SBAs were investigated. Results showed that bonding strength increased first then decreased as enzymolysis pH and temperature were increased. WISC decreased with increasing pH and decreased first then increased as temperature increased. WISC decreased and bonding strength improved slowly with the increasing time. Bonding strength improved slowly as additive amount of Viscozyme L increased. WISC decreased as the added amount of Viscozyme L increased and then decreased slowly at the added amount of Viscozyme L of about 50 FBG and beyond. SBAs prepared by Viscozyme L action on soy flour slurry decreased WISC and improved bonding strength. The suitable preparation conditions of SBA for plywood are as follows: enzymolysis pH 5.2, temperature 50 oC, and time 20 min, and the additive amount of Viscozyme L depended on the application condition

Effect of Enzymatic Pretreatment on the Preparation and Properties of Soy-Based Adhesive for Plywood

Response surface methodology was employed to determine the effects of enzymatic pretreatment temperature, time, and pH on the reducing sugar content and bonding strength of soy-based adhesives (SBAs). Plywood specimens bonded by the SBAs with Pinus massoniana veneer were then produced. A significant positive correlation was observed between reducing sugar content and the bonding strength of SBAs. The effects of pretreatment temperature and time on bonding strength were also significant, but insignificant with respect to reducing sugar content; the effects of enzymatic pretreatment time on response values were the smallest. The optimal enzymatic pretreatment conditions of SBA were a pretreatment temperature of 54 °C, a pretreatment time of 20.0 min, and a pretreatment pH of 5.1. Under these conditions, the reducing sugar content and bonding strength (boiling-water test) of SBAs were 2.93% and 0.62 MPa, which were higher than the control by 113.9% and 30.6%, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that the ordered degree of soy protein decreased, but the ordered structure had no variation when defatted soy flour was treated by enzymes with combination of acid, salt, and alkali. The SBAs contain more active functional groups and have better water resistance after curing

Graphene Oxide Functionalized Cottonseed-Lignin Resin with Enhanced Wet Adhesion for Woody Composites Application

With rising interior air pollution, health, and food shortage concerns, wood adhesives derived from non-food sustainable materials have therefore attracted considerable attention. Here we developed an eco-friendly cottonseed-lignin adhesive consisting of non-food defatted cottonseed flour (DCF), alkali lignin (AL), and graphene oxide (GO). The cation-π interaction, and hydrogen and covalent bonds between AL@GO and DCF collectively enhanced the cross-linking structure of the cured cottonseed-lignin adhesive, based on the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyses, scanning electron microscopy, and sol-gel tests. The high performance of the developed cottonseed-lignin adhesive was evidenced by its increased wet/dry shear strength and decreased rheological properties before curing and improved thermal stability and decreased soluble substances after curing. Particularly, the highest wet shear strength of poplar plywood bonded with cottonseed-lignin adhesive was 1.08 MPa, which increased by 74.2 and 54.3% as compared to the control and requirement of the Chinese standard GB/T 9846-2015 for interior plywood (≥0.7 MPa), respectively. The technology and resultant adhesives showed great potential in the preparation of green woody composites for many applications

Characterization and Performance of Soy-Based Adhesives Cured with Epoxy Resin

Soy-based adhesives have attracted much attention recently because they are environmentally safe, low cost, and readily available. To improve the gluability and water resistance of soy-based adhesives, we prepared an enzyme-treated soy-based adhesive modified with an epoxy resin. We investigated the wet shear strength of plywood bonded with the modified adhesive using the boiling-water test. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance analysis were used to characterize the reaction between epoxy groups and –NH2 groups in the modified soy-based adhesives. FTIR analysis confirmed the cross-linking structure in the cured adhesives. Viscosity and the solid content of soy-based adhesives gradually increased with the increasing amount of epoxy resin, but had little effect on its operability. Wet shear strength of plywood samples increased as the amount of epoxy resin was increased, whereas the inverse trend was observed regarding the water absorption of cured adhesives. Compared to an unmodified adhesive, the addition of 30% of epoxy resin increased the wet shear strength of plywood samples by 58.3% (0.95 MPa), meeting the requirement of the Chinese National Standard for exterior plywood. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis showed the improved thermostability of the cured adhesives after curing at 160 °C. These results suggest that epoxy resin could effectively improve the performance of enzyme-treated soy-based adhesives, which might provide a new option for the preparation of soy-based adhesives with high gluability and water resistance

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SOY-BASED BIO-ADHESIVE: PREPARATION, CHARACTERIZATION, AND ITS APPLICATION TO PLYWOOD

Defatted soy-based flour (DSF) modified with a combination of acid, salt, dicyandiamide, and alkali for preparing soy-based bio-adhesives (SBA) was investigated in this study. The resulting modified products from different reaction stages were characterized by FTIR, XPS, and TG. The results from FTIR and XPS indicated that the hydrolysis of the amide link and decarboxylation had occurred after the reaction by acid and salt; these reactions resulted in an increase of active groups, such as primary amine, carboxyl, and hydroxyl groups. The active groups were further increased by treatment with dicyandiamide and alkali. Curing the SBA resulted in the condensation and cross-linkage between active functional groups. Moreover, TG analysis proved that the active functional groups were increased during the modification process of the DSF, which was consistent with the results presented in FTIR and XPS. Finally, SBA was applied to plywood made from four wood species (basswood, Pinus massoniana, Triplochiton scleroxylon, and poplar) to test its water resistance performance. The average bonding strength between wood species was close to 0.91 MPa, which demonstrated that the SBA can be regarded as an alternative to petro-based adhesives

Preparation and Properties of Heat-treated Masson Pine (Pinus massoniana) Veneer

The feasibility of heat treatment of Masson pine veneers (MPVs) was evaluated based on mass loss, tensile strength, bending strength, and water absorption of the heat-treated MPVs, and its application in plywood was explored. Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray diffraction results showed that heat-treated MPVs contained a lower amount of hydrophilic groups and had an increased crystallinity. The maximum tensile strength was 59.2 MPa when MPVs were heat-treated at 210 °C for 5.0 min. The corresponding mass loss, water absorption (384 h), and bending strength values were 1.72%, 105.44%, and 83.1 MPa, respectively. Plywood produced from heat-treated MPV (210 °C, 30 min) with the best fungal durability and the lowest shear strength (1.07 MPa) still met the requirements of the Chinese National Standard (GB/T 9846.3-2004, ≥0.80 MPa) for exterior plywood. These results indicate that products based on heat-treated MPV will have increased fungal durability

Fire Performance of Ultra-Low Density Fiberboard (ULDF) with Complex Fire-Retardants

To clarify how the fire performance of ultra-low density fiberboard (ULDF) can be improved by complex fire-retardants, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) and microstructure of ULDFs with different additive amounts of complex fire-retardants was analyzed. The char yield, chemical bonding, and thermostability of ULDFs treated by different temperatures were also tested. Results showed that the LOI values and compactness of ULDFs were increased with increased amounts of fire-retardants. Three steps of char yield curves in control fiberboard (CF) and mixed fiberboard (MF) were apparent. The preliminary degradation in lignin and cellulose of CF occurred at 300 °C. The cellulose had completely decomposed at 400 °C, but in the case of MF, the lignin and cellulose were not completely decomposed at 400 °C. It was shown that there are different ways to improve the fire resistance of ULDF using boron, nitrogen-phosphorus, silica, and halogen-based fire-retardants. The fiberboard with silicium compounds had the lowest mass loss in three stages and total mass loss. Compared with CF, MF had a lower mass loss. Furthermore, the exothermic peak for MF at around 400.0 °C was decreased, indicating that the fire resistance of ULDF was improved by the complex fire-retardants. Validerad; 2016; Nivå 2; 2016-12-01 (rokbeg)</p