Samuel L. Zelinka

Water Vapor Sorption Isotherms for Southern Pine Treated with Several Waterborne Preservatives

Equilibrium moisture content (EMC) was measured over a range of relative humidities at 22.5°C to determine whether certain wood preservatives increase the hygroscopicity of southern pine (Pinus sp.) The treatments studied were alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) at a retention of 6.6 kg⋅m−3, chromated copper arsenate (CCA) at 6.9 kg⋅m−3, and disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) at 3.8 kg⋅m−3 (equivalent to 2.6 kg⋅m−3 as B2O3). All treatments examined increased the EMC at relative humidities above 60 %. Wood treated with DOT was the most hygroscopic. At high relative humidities, the ratio of the EMC of ACQ-treated wood to CCA-treated wood was 1.08. It is unlikely that the higher corrosiveness of ACQ compared with CCA is due to this slight increase in hygroscopicity.

Threshold for ion movements in wood cell walls below fiber saturation observed by X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM)

Abstract Diffusion of chemicals and ions through the wood cell wall plays an important role in wood damage mechanisms. In the present work, free diffusion of ions through wood secondary walls and middle lamellae has been investigated as a function of moisture content (MC) and anatomical direction. Various ions (K, Cl, Zn, Cu) were injected into selected regions of 2 μm thick wood sections with a microinjector and then the ion distribution was mapped by means of X-ray fluorescence microscopy with submicron spatial resolution. The MC of the wood was controlled in situ by means of climatic chamber with controlled relative humidity (RH). For all ions investigated, there was a threshold RH below which the concentration profiles did not change. The threshold RH depended upon ionic species, cell wall layer, and wood anatomical orientation. Above the threshold RH, differences in mobility among ions were observed and the mobility depended upon anatomical direction and cell wall layer. These observations support a recently proposed percolation model of electrical conduction in wood. The results contribute to understanding the mechanisms of fungal decay and fastener corrosion that occur below the fiber saturation point.

Impedance spectroscopy and circuit modeling of Southern pine above 20% moisture content

Abstract Impedance spectra were collected from Southern pine (Pinus spp.) equilibrated to a moisture content 20% and a saturated condition. Cylindrical graphite electrodes were embedded in the wood so that they met nearly end-to-end along a line parallel to the grain, and impedance properties were characterized as functions of electrode spacing and electrode contact pressure at frequencies between 1×10-1 and 3×105 Hz. The data exhibit a low-frequency tail that can be fit with a Warburg element, indicative of a diffusive motion of charge carriers. Values of the Warburg impedance were compared with previously published data on molar conductivities of endogenous mineral ions in wood. The data suggest that mineral ions are the predominant charge carriers in wood at low frequencies and high moisture contents based on the strong correlation between the Warburg impedance and molar conductivities.

Analytical determination of the surface area of a threaded fastener

Accurate determination of corrosion rates for threaded fasteners hinges on the ability to determine the surface area on which corrosion is occurring. Currently, no general analytical expression of surface area exists for the threaded fastener types. A recent voluntary withdrawal of chromated copper arsenate as the primary, long-standing preservative treatment for wood resulted in the need to determine the corrosion rates of threaded fasteners. This paper developed general analytical surface area equations for a wedge-shaped thread and the area between the threads for three cases: (1) an increasing thread root and crest diameter, (2) constant thread root and crest diameters, and (3) a constant thread root but a decreasing thread crest diameter. The expressions are applied, numerically verified, and compared to simplified models for a No. 10–2.54 cm (1-in.) long wood screw.

The role of chemical transport in the brown-rot decay resistance of modified wood

Chemical modification of wood increases decay resistance but the exact mechanisms remain poorly understood. Recently, Ringman and coauthors examined established theories addressing why modified wood has increased decay resistance and concluded that the most probable cause of inhibition and/or delay of initiation of brown-rot decay is lowering the equilibrium moisture content. In another recent study, Jakes and coauthors examined moisture-induced wood damage mechanisms, including decay and fastener corrosion, and observed that these mechanisms require chemical transport through wood cell walls. They proposed that chemical transport within wood cell walls is controlled by a moisture-induced glass transition in interconnected networks of hemicelluloses and amorphous cellulose. This paper shows how these models jointly suggest mechanisms by which wood modifications can inhibit brown-rot. Alternative mechanisms are also discussed. These models can be used to understand and further improve the performance of wood modification systems.

Moisture storage and transport properties of preservative treated and untreated southern pine wood

Abstract Moisture storage and transport properties of southern pine (Pinus spp.) wood were measured for implementation into hygrothermal models. Specimens were untreated or pressure-treated with alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) preservative. Moisture storage was characterized with sorption isotherms in the hygroscopic region (high capillary pressures) and documented with mercury intrusion porosimetry in the overhygroscopic region (low capillary pressures). The data were then combined into a single moisture retention curve as a function of capillary pressure. Moisture transport was evaluated from steady-state water vapor transmission and dynamic capillary water absorption experiments. These data were used to calculate the moisture permeability over the entire range of capillary pressures using the diffusivity approach of Carmeliet et al. Moisture storage and transport properties were similar for the untreated and ACQ-treated southern pine, except for the permeability of the treated wood which was lower in the radial direction. The data presented here can be used to improve the accuracy of hygrothermal and combined hygrothermal–corrosion modeling simulations.

Modeling the Effect of Nail Corrosion on the Lateral Strength of Joints

Abstract This article describes a theoretical method of linking fastener corrosion in wood connections to potential reduction in lateral shear strength. It builds upon published quantitative data o...

Anatomically informed mesoscale electrical impedance spectroscopy in southern pine and the electric field distribution for pin-type electric moisture metres

Abstract Electrical impedance spectra of wood taken at macroscopic scales below the fibre saturation point have led to inferences that the mechanism of charge conduction involves a percolation phenomenon. The pathways responsible for charge conduction would necessarily be influenced by wood structure at a variety of sub-macroscopic scales – at a mesoscale – but these questions have not yet been addressed. The goal of this work is to explore if mesoscale anatomical features in wood affect impedance spectra. Small (0.5 mm diameter) needles were used as electrodes and were configured such that the line segment between the electrodes could be oriented radially, tangentially, longitudinally and in combinations of those directions in both earlywood and latewood, including comparisons of earlywood–latewood transitions. The spectra were fit to an equivalent circuit model with a constant phase element in parallel with a resistor and Warburg element that describes ionic conduction. Finite element simulations were run to examine the effect of the fringing electric field near the electrodes. The simulations revealed that the current density was concentrated at the electrodes, resulting in a lack of dependence on electrode spacing thus explaining why measurements taken with pin-type electric moisture metres are nearly independent of electrode geometry.

Force–displacement measurements of earlywood bordered pits using a mesomechanical tester

The elastic properties of pit membranes are reported to have important implications in understanding air-seeding phenomena in gymnosperms, and pit aspiration plays a large role in wood technological applications such as wood drying and preservative treatment. Here we present force-displacement measurements for pit membranes of circular bordered pits, collected on a mesomechanical testing system. The system consists of a quartz microprobe attached to a microforce sensor that is positioned and advanced with a micromanipulator mounted on an inverted microscope. Membrane displacement is measured from digital image analysis. Unaspirated pits from earlywood of never-dried wood of Larix and Pinus and aspirated pits from earlywood of dried wood of Larix were tested to generate force-displacement curves up to the point of membrane failure. Two failure modes were observed: rupture or tearing of the pit membrane by the microprobe tip, and the stretching of the pit membrane until the torus was forced out of the pit chamber through the pit aperture without rupture, a condition we refer to as torus prolapse.

Withdrawal Strength and Bending Yield Strength of Stainless Steel Nails

AbstractIt has been well established that stainless steel nails have superior corrosion performance compared to carbon steel or galvanized nails in treated wood; however, their mechanical fastening behavior is unknown. In this paper, the performance of stainless steel nails is examined with respect to two important properties used in wood connection design: withdrawal strength and nail bending yield strength. Different nail diameters, wood specific gravities, and nail manufacturers were examined. The current withdrawal design equations, developed from carbon steel nail data, overpredict the expected withdrawal strength when used for stainless steel nails, reducing the safety factor. As a result, a new equation was developed to predict the nail stainless steel withdrawal capacity. The data further indicate that nail bending yield strength values for stainless steel were similar to carbon steel data.