Juvenile and Mature Pinewoods Treated by in situ Polymerization with Poly(vinyl acetate)

This study aims to produce and characterize wood-based composites (WPC) by in situ polymerization with poly(vinyl acetate) into juvenile and mature woods from a pine specie. Vacuum-pressure method was used to impregnate the wood with a vinyl acetate monomer and benzoyl peroxide (1.5 wt%) was used as initiator. The studied WPC were characterized for treatment parameters (weight percentage gain and specific gravity), as well as chemical (by infrared spectroscopy), thermal (by thermogravimetric analysis) and mechanical (by flexure and hardness tests) features. The in situ polymerization yielded improved mechanical properties and increased thermal stabilities, which were attributed to the impregnated poly(vinyl acetate) (especially on the wood surface) as suggested by treatment parameters and infrared spectra. The presented wood treatment may be a key strategy to improve pinewood properties, especially from juvenile wood, which may overcome the properties of the pristine mature wood.