Properties of woodceramics obtained by high temperatures and phenolic resin impregnation

This research investigated variations in density, weight loss, shrinkage, and mechanical properties of "woodceramics," as affected by resin impregnation percentage and carbonizing temperature. These woodceramics were formed by carbonizing medium density fiberboard (MDF) at 600°, 800°, 1000°, and 1200°C that had been impregnated with varying levels of phenolic resin. As the resin impregnation percentage and the carbonizing temperature increased, density increased until the carbonizing temperature reached 1000°C, then began to decline. On the other hand, as resin impregnation percentage increased, weight loss and shrinkage decreased. As the carbonizing temperature increased, weight loss and linear shrinkage both increased. In addition, as resin impregnation percentage and the carbonizing temperature rose, so did both bending and compressive strength, due to an increase in the hardening of the phenolic resin located in the cell walls of the impregnated MDF.