Obtaining environmentally compliant wood-polymer composite material from larch wood

The article discusses the issues of environmentally compatible strengthening components of wood-polymer composite materials: a binder and a wood matrix (Larix Sibirica). Nanocrystalline cellulose was activated by ultrasound and a pulsed magnetic field. Then it was introduced into synthetic polymer liquid phenol-formaldehyde resin. It increased the resin strength by 2 times. Similar results were obtained with Prefier phenol-formaldehyde resin, urea formaldehyde resin with increased pot life, and amino-formaldehyde resin. The analysis of larch wood microstructure obtained with a scanning electron microscope was made. It was showed that formation of cracks along the medullary rays due to rupture of the cells, as well as detachment of parenchyma cells from the tracheids was common to all sections. The research defined that impregnation of larch wood with plasticizing aqueous solution, in particular, urea, eliminates microcrack formation along the annual layer during drying. Larch plywood, made using Prefier resin modified by nanocrystalline cellulose, has increased chipping strength along the adhesive layer and static bending strength. Prefier resin was established to be the most environmentally sensitive strengthening components for wood-polymer production.