Characteristics of fast-growing wood impregnated with nanoparticles

Falcataria moluccana or sengon is one of the fast-growing wood species widely grown in Indonesia. However, its wood is low quality with low density, and poor strength, durability, and dimensional stability. This study determined the effects of impregnation with monoethylene glycol (MEG) and nano-SiO2 on the characteristics of sengon wood, including its dimensional stability and density. Impregnation with MEG and nano-SiO2 had a significant effects on dimensional stability in terms of the weight percent gain, anti-swelling efficiency, water uptake, bulking effect, and density. The impregnated wood was examined by scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results show that MEG and nano-SiO2 were distributed homogeneously into cell walls of wood treated with 0.5% MEGSiO2.