Improvement of Dimensional Stability of Tropical Light-Wood Ceiba pentandra (L) by Combined Alkali Treatment and Densification

Densification is an effective method for improving the physical and mechanical properties of low-density wood. However, the set-recovery of dimensions was found to be the problem of densified wood due to low fixation during the densification process. Alkali pretreatment before densification is thought to be a modification process to improve the dimensional stability of densified wood. In this research, the wood samples used were boiled in a 1.25 N sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution at different times, followed by densification for 5 h at 100°C. The alkali pretreatment for 1, 3, and 5 h of boiling increased the dimensional stability of densified woods and anti-swelling efficiency values were 8.52%, 63.24%, and 48.94%, respectively. The boiling of wood in NaOH solution decreased the holocellulose content, as well as lignin to a lesser degree, and a lower crystallinity index was observed. The lower hydroxyl groups and a higher proportion of lignin in treated samples seem to have contributed to the high dimensional stability detected.