Mechanical properties and engineering application potential of the densified poplar

ABSTRACT

Poplar is a common tree species that is extensively cultivated in China, and its density is relatively low. The low density of poplar results in low mechanical properties, which restrict its application range. However, the density of wood can be increased by compressing the porous structure in the transverse direction. Before compression, the wood needs to be softened from a rigid state to a thermoplastic flow state. After compression, the compressive deformation needs to be fixed. The hot water pretreatment and heat post-treatment is by far the most convenient and environment-friendly way for the manufacture of the densified wood. This study presents the mechanical properties of densified poplar by hot water pretreatment with different compression ratio and thermal modification time, and explores the engineering application potential of densified poplar as wooden dowel to connect timber members instead of steel dowel.

KEYWORDS:

• Poplar
• densified wood
• mechanical properties
• set recovery
• wooden dowel
• timber-to-timber joints

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 51878114].