Wood joints by through-dowel rotation welding: microstructure, 13C-NMR and water resistance
Résumé
Two-block wood joints were obtained by insertion and welding without adhesives of dowels by high-speed rotation. Their strengths were better than that obtained by poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) gluing. X-ray-microdensitometry analysis showed that a complete welding of the dowel to the substrate occurred and that a perfectly tight joint was formed. Isolation of the flow material allowed CP-MAS 13C-NMR analysis of its composition with possibly low interference from the constituents from the substrate. The flow material appeared to be composed of hemicelluloses, apparently xylans, and lignin. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with the NMR analysis results showed that microfibrils of cellulose, in both amorphous and crystalline states, torn from the wood surface during welding, as well as very small proportions possibly of recrystallized xylans and furanic compounds formed by heat transformation of the carbohydrates, were present. The geometry of the dowel joint allowed the joint to maintain up to 88% of its initial tensile strength after 24-h immersion in cold water.