Abstract
Curing conditions influence the properties of wood modified with melamine resin. Beech wood (Fagus sylvatica L.) was impregnated with melamine resin and cured in a dry and a hot steam process to investigate the influence of the relative humidity while curing. The topochemistry of the modified wood was assessed by light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) to visualise structural and chemical changes on cell wall level. LM in combination with staining did not show differences between the curing processes but allowed to distinguish untreated and treated wood. SEM micrographs revealed a more severe impact of dry curing conditions on the structural integrity of the material than steam curing by the formation of micro cracks. Dry-cured specimens showed a higher resin concentration in the cell wall than steam-cured specimens with the same overall distribution pattern as shown by EDX line scans.
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