Effect of Ethylene Oxide Sterilization and Accelerated Ageing on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Beech, Oak, and Elm Wood: Part 2

The effect of ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization and/or accelerated ageing on impact bending strength (IBS), tensile strength along and across the fiber (TSALF and TSACF), ultimate flexural strength along and across the fiber (FSAL and FSAC), and splitting resistance (SR) was tested in bulk and veneer wood. The IBS was greatly increased in beech but decreased in some oak samples. The EO treatment followed by ageing caused the TSACF to increase in bulk beech and to decrease in bulk oak. The EO treatment decreased the TSALF values in bulk oak, beech, and elm veneer. However, beech veneer samples exhibited increased TSALF. The ageing of EO treated samples decreased the TSALF values for veneers (oak and beech), while both bulk samples increased. A notable decline was observed due to EO treatment of oak and beech, along with post ageing decline for oak samples in FSAC values only. The FSAL values decreased after ageing of EO treated and untreated samples (oak and beech), while a post EO treatment decline was observed in oak samples only. The SR (Rw) values decreased in EO-only treated oak wood and increased in EO treated and aged samples (oak and beech).