IMPROVED PERFORMANCE OF WOOD POLYMER NANOCOMPOSITE IMPREGNATED WITH METAL OXIDE NANOPARTICLE-REINFORCED PHENOL FORMALDEHYDE RESIN

Abstract

Low molecular weight phenol formaldehyde (LmwPF) resin (30%) was reinforced with three types of metal oxide nanoparticles, namely, nano silicon dioxide (SiO2), nano aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and nano zinc oxide (ZnO) at loading levels of 1, 3 and 5%. Following the X-ray diffraction results, nanofillers were dispersed into LmwPF resin by sonification for 60 min. Pure LmwPF resin and nanofiller-reinforced LwmPF resin were impregnated into sesenduk (Endospermum diadenum) wood producing impreg wood and wood polymer nanocomposite (WPNC) respectively. Physical and biological properties as well as formaldehyde emission of the samples were evaluated. The results revealed that the LmwPF resin reinforced with nanofillers had lower viscosity, higher solids content and faster gelation time than pure LmwPF. Dimensional stability was significantly improved in impreg wood. WPNC impregnated with nanofillers-reinforced LmwPF resin showed further improvement in dimensional stability. All treated samples were highly resistant against white rot fungus particular those reinforced with nano ZnO. However, higher formaldehyde emission was observed in WPNC compared with that of the impreg wood. Generally, nano Al₂O₃ gave the best results in terms of physical and biological properties of the WPNC, irrespective of loading levels.