Dimensional stability and mechanical properties of exoxidized vegetable oils as wood preservatives

In recent years, some vegetable oils such as linseed oil and soybean oil, have been used to preserve wood material, and contain no environmentally hazardous chemicals or chemicals harmful to humans. However, based on early studies related to vegetable oils, it was found that vegetable oils do not chemically bond with the wood structure, but rather only fill the cavities in the wood structure. This acts only to prevent the water uptake into wood. Because vegetable oils only act as a barrier to prevent water absorption, higher oil retentions (400 kg/m3 - 600 kg/m3) which are not cost-effective, would be needed to be effective in protecting wood. In this study, to reactivate oil and improve the bonding ability between oil and wood components, epoxidation of vegetable oil was targeted. Thus, more cost-effective oil retention levels between 80 kg/m3 and 270 kg/m3 were used due to treat the wood. With epoxidized vegetable oils, oil acids are able to bond to sites normally occupied by water molecules. This study also aimed to reduce leaching of boron compounds.