AN INVESTIGATION ON COMPRESSION PARALLEL TO GRAIN VALUES OF WOOD IMPREGNATED WITH SOME BORON COMPOUNDS

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine compression strength parallel to grain of wood impregnated with some boron compounds. Sodium perborate (SP) boric acid, (BA), and borax (BX) were Used as boron compounds. Wood specimens were prepared from Calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) and beech (Fagus orientalis L.) wood. Before compression test parallel to grain, wood specimens were impregnated with aqueous solutions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 %) of boron compounds according to ASTM D 1413(1976). Results showed that compression strength parallel to grain values of wood specimens treated with boron compounds were lower compared to untreated control specimens. Borate treatments reduced compression strength parallel to grain of wood in significant level compared to untreated control. The compression strength parallel to grain values of wood specimens were the highest for untreated control specimen followed by BA, BX, and SP treated wood specimens, respectively. In general, our results showed that the higher concentration levels of boron compounds, the lower compression strength parallel to grain values of wood resulted.