Open Access

ARTICLE

Physical and Mechanical Properties of Gmelina Wood (Gmelina arborea Roxb.) Modified with Furfuryl Alcohol-Tannin

Mahdi Mubarok^1,*, Pirda Maharani Nafisah¹, Adi Santoso², Saefudin^2,*, Efrida Basri², Yusuf Sudo Hadi^1,3, Adik Bahanawan², Rohmah Pari², Imam Busyra Abdillah¹, Jingjing Liao⁴, Dede Hermawan¹, Trisna Priadi¹, Philippe Gérardin⁵, Wayan Darmawan¹

1 Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Department of Forest Products, IPB University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia
2 Research Center for Biomass and Bioproducts, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, 16915, Indonesia
3 The Papua New Guinea University of Technology, Independence Drive, East Taraka, Lae 411, Papua New Guinea
4 College of Landscape and Horticulture, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
5 INRAE, LERMAB, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, 54000, France

* Corresponding Authors: Mahdi Mubarok. Email: ; Saefudin. Email:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2025, 13(4), 731-752. https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2024.057476

Received 19 August 2024; Accepted 28 November 2024; Issue published 21 April 2025

Abstract

Furfurylation, a renowned chemical modification technique, uses furfuryl alcohol to enhance the properties of wood. This technology can be further refined by incorporating renewable tannins, which promote cross-linking with furfuryl alcohol. This study investigates the effects of furfurylation and tannin-modified furfurylation on the physical and mechanical properties of tropical Gmelina wood (Gmelina arborea Roxb.). Experiments involved impregnating Gmelina wood with aqueous solutions of furfuryl alcohol (FA) at 40% and 70% concentrations, as well as FA-tannin combinations (FA 40%-TA and FA 70%-TA), followed by polymerization at 103°C. The results demonstrated that both FA and FA-tannin treatments significantly improved the wood’s physical and mechanical properties. Notably, FA-tannin treatments achieved anti-swelling efficiency comparable to FA alone. However, the addition of tannins (FA 70%-TA) enhanced leaching resistance by up to 47%, contributing to a more environmentally sustainable modification process. Mechanically, the inclusion of tannins in FA 70%-TA slightly increased the modulus of elasticity (14%~8732 kg/cm²) and the modulus of rupture (9%~40.9 kg/cm²). Furthermore, the tannin addition imparted a darker color to the modified wood, enhancing its aesthetic appeal. This study highlights the potential of tannin-modified furfurylation to advance wood modification technology, combining improved performance with environmental benefits.

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